A high-speed car chase that reached speeds of 100 miles per hour and lasted more than 30 minutes ended Monday after the driver ran off the side of a county road and into a ditch about four miles east of Durango.
La Plata County Sheriff Sgt. Nathan Harris said the department was asked by Southern Ute Police for assistance tracking down a vehicle that sped off after a fight erupted in Ignacio.
The pursuit began around 6 p.m. Monday, and police pursued for more than 30 minutes near the airport and around county roads east of Durango. Speeds eclipsed more than 100 miles per hour.
Around 6:30 p.m., police placed spike strips on County Road 510, and ran the black Buick sedan off the road into a drainage ditch, where two suspects were quickly apprehended.
Harris said a male driver was arrested on suspicion of alluding arrest and driving under restraint. Harris said the driver had not been identified.
A female passenger who was handcuffed and led to a police vehicle – visibly in tears – was later released from police custody and not charged in connection to the chase.
Because the crime spanned county and reservation lines, the male suspect was transported to Southern Ute Police Department headquarters. Neither Southern Ute Police officials on the scene nor Chairman Clement Frost responded to requests for comment.
Bayfield Police were also involved, and Durango Police stood at the ready with spike strips Monday had the driver entered city limits. No injuries were reported as a result of the chase.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
