What looked like a clip from the old ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ TV show took place Friday afternoon in and around the streets of Watonga.
According to police sources, an officer noticed a red pickup truck being driven in a suspicious manner slightly before 4 p.m. on Foraker Avenue.
The driver of the truck, later identified as David Michael Brown, began attempting to elude police.
The truck darted out onto Clarence Nash Boulevard and attempted to turn west on Airport Road. Failing to accomplish the turn, the driver skid and tore through the fence on the south side of the airport complex only to exit on the east side a short distance away. He regained the roadway on Clarence Nash and fishtailed across, completing a turn in the east side right of way and heading back south.
Veering around a police cruiser, the truck made a hard right onto Airport Road with police in pursuit.
That pursuit did not go very far, as the truck, which was damaged when it struck the fencing, began experiencing problems and sputtered to a halt slightly before the sharp curve on Airport Road. It failed to start again after that and the driver, Brown, was taken into custody.
He was booked into the Blaine County Jail on charges of endangering others while eluding police; trespass and damage to critical infrastructure or facility; driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while license canceled; suspended or revoked; reckless driving; speeding and failure to maintain security(insurance).
Both Watonga Police Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol were involved in the pursuit and arrest of Brown.
All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty or pleading guilty in a court of law.