High-speed chase lands Lubbock man in jail

A high-speed chased came to an abrupt end when the suspect ran into a pile of railroad scrap iron near Hedley Sunday night, November 11.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said a DPS trooper began pursuit of a white Volkswagon Jetta about 8 p.m. after he clocked the vehicle going 91 mph in a 75 mph zone west of Clarendon. Blackburn said the pursuit went through Clarendon and reached speeds of more than 130 mph before the suspect exited into the south Giles rest area.

The Jetta then came back onto US 287 with no lights, traveling west in the eastbound lanes and at some point crossed back over to the westbound lanes. The suspect was met by the Donley County Sheriff’s Office in Hedley; and while attempting to evade the sheriff’s office, he ran the car astraddle a pile of railroad iron in some tall weeds on the west side of town.

Douglas Dean Sowell, age 23, of Lubbock was taken into custody and charged with Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle and Evading Arrest in Motor Vehicle. About the time of the arrest, the Jetta was reported stolen out of Amarillo, the sheriff said.