WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — A high-speed pursuit early Tuesday morning in Wichita Falls involving a car full of teenagers ends with spiked tires and two arrests, according to authorities.
According to the Wichita Falls Police Department, the incident occurred just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
Police said a night shift patrol sergeant saw a juvenile male run directly in front of his patrol car near the QuikTrip at the intersection of Iowa Park Road and Interstate 44. He said the officer approached the juvenile, attempting to catch up to a 2016 Kia Forte.
According to authorities, the Forte left the juvenile behind as the officers were drawing closer. They said officers attempted to stop the vehicle. However, the vehicle turned off its lights and evaded the officers, who eventually lost sight of it.
Police said the abandoned juvenile was a 13-year-old male who told police his uncle was in the Kia.
According to WFPD, another night shift officer located the Kia Forte at about 3:45 a.m. and attempted to stop the vehicle. He said the vehicle sped up and evaded officers.
Police said officers pursued the vehicle for about eight miles until it ended in the 4400 block of Kemp Boulevard. He said the police spiked the Kia’s tires. The pursuit reached speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Police said the driver, a 14-year-old male, was eventually arrested on the following charges:
- Evading Arrest/Detention with a Vehicle
- Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
- Abandoning/Endangering a Child (x3)
According to WFPD, the 14-year-old driver of the Kia took the vehicle without the owner’s permission, who had allowed the suspect to stay at her house for the night.
Police said three other juveniles, a 13-year-old male, a 13-year-old female, and a 15-year-old male, were inside the vehicle at the time of the pursuit. Police said there was also a 64-year-old male passenger in the back seat of the car, a stranger who had asked the juveniles for a ride.
Police said the 15-year-old male was arrested for two outstanding felony warrants. He said the three 13-year-old juveniles were released to their parents.