By John Dobberstein, Editor
The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said one juvenile was arrested Tuesday night after leading deputies on a high-speed chase.
At about 11:37 p.m., a deputy saw a black Chrysler 300 traveling west on Highway 51 near S. 369th East Ave. at a high rate of speed. Radar confirmed the vehicle was traveling 98 mph in a posted 65 mph zone.
As the deputy entered the roadway to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle “accelerated significantly,” reaching speeds of over 120 mph in a 55 mph zone, the sheriff’s department said.
A pursuit was initiated and assistance was requested from the Coweta Police Department, but due to the extreme speeds involved the first deputy responding couldn’t maintain the pace and Coweta police officers assumed primary pursuit.
Coweta police lost sight of the vehicle, but it was located again a short time later near S. 369th East Avenue and East 113th Street. Sheriff’s deputies detained the occupants without further incident.
The juvenile driver admitted to observing emergency lights and intentionally accelerating in an attempt to evade law enforcement.
Authorities confirmed a juvenile passenger was present in the vehicle during the pursuit, resulting in additional concerns of child endangerment. The case was referred to the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs and guardians for the youths were notified and responded to the scene.
“As we are halfway through Spring Break, this is a strong reminder for parents to have conversations with their kids about making good decisions,” said Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott. “Choices made in a matter of seconds can have serious, lifelong consequences. We want our young people to enjoy their time off, but to do so responsibly and safely, for their own sake and for everyone else on the road.”
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