Two Fugitives Caught When Leading Cops on Accidental Chase

When the driver of a vehicle with two passengers saw a police vehicle in the act of assisting another officer on the road, he thought he was being pulled over and tried to flee.

Tyler Smithee, a man with a warrant out for his arrest for shooting with intent to kill charges, was driving a truck with two female passengers on the evening of November 5.

While cruising down the road, Smithee noticed a police car behind him, and the officer turned on his lights to try to get the truck to clear a path for him.

The officer behind Smithee was in the act of helping a second officer, but Smithee purportedly assumed he was being pulled over.

In an alleged attempt to dodge interacting with the police, Smithee turned into a nearby field in the direction of a senior care facility with the authorities chasing behind, and he smashed into a tree and ran away from the wreck.

The female passengers remained at the scene, and they were questioned by the officers.

One of the women was identified as Laci Burch, and she reportedly issued a false name for Smithee when the authorities asked her to identify him.

The Tulsa Police Department employed the assistance of their helicopter, and Smithee was detained and identified. He reportedly told the police that he had a gun when he ran from the truck and that he had ditched it somewhere in the field.

Smithee was taken into custody and booked into the Tulsa County Jail for several charges, some of which include suspicion of eluding, and possession of a firearm.

Burch, who has an active arrest warrant out of Texas, was also arrested and booked into the county jail for suspicion of harboring a fugitive.

If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.