By Barry Porterfield
Authorities in three counties are likely catching their breath after a high-speed and lengthy pursuit early Monday morning that stretched into all of them after an attempted traffic stop in Wynnewood.
In the end the chase stretching out more than 60 miles resulted in two Duncan men being arrested, including the driver who is believed to have started the pursuit because of his suspended license.
Garvin County officials said Monday a number of criminal charges could be filed against Jason Fuller, 33. Also taken into custody was a passenger, Toby Keith Condit, 32, on a complaint of public intoxication.
Among the law enforcement officers taking part in the pursuit was Lt. Travis Crawford of the Garvin County Sheriff’s Department.
Crawford said it was Fuller’s suspended driver’s license that motivated him to flee from a Wynnewood police officer — an act that got the pursuit going at about 1:30 a.m. Monday.
“His statement to us is he didn’t have a license and he wasn’t going to get caught,” Crawford said.
Fuller was driving a two-door sports utility vehicle in Wynnewood when a police officer there reporting seeing the speeding vehicle fail to stop at a traffic sign near the local high school.
The chase was on as the vehicle fled south and west of Wynnewood making its way down to state Highway 7 in the far southern portion of Garvin County.
According to Crawford, the vehicle went into a field at a site in the Tatums area.
When it circled back around the suspects’ vehicle went directly at the Wynnewood officer’s patrol car striking it in the front bumper area causing severe damage, Crawford said.
Eventually the pursuit with speeds consistently reaching in the 90 to 95 mph range dipped down into Carter County and then into neighboring Stephens County.
It later came to an end back in Carter County as a rear tire blew out forcing the vehicle to the side of a road.
“The driver fled on foot and was apprehended within moments,” Crawford said, referring to Fuller.
The passenger didn’t get out of the vehicle as he was quickly arrested. Both suspects were later booked into Garvin County jail.
