He Crashed During a High Speed Chase and Now Wears a Neck Brace

MERTZON, TX  – One man is now in the Tom Green County Jail wearing a neck brace after leading police on a high speed chase though multiple counties and then crashing the car he stole into a tree.

According to the an arrest affidavit, on July 6, a deputy with the Reagan County Sheriff's Office noticed a man stealing a vehicle at the Sunoco coonvenience store parking lot in Big Lake. The deputy attempted to pull over the driver but the subject had other plans. He fled the scene, with the deputy in hot pursuit and the high speed chase began.

The driver went from Big Lake, through Barnhart and then finally to Mertzon going speeds up to 90 mph. Before the driver could get all the way into Mertzon though he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree.

After the crash, the driver was identified as 30-year-old Joshua Purdey. He was treated at the scene for his injuries and then was taken to the Tom Green County Jail for an felony warrant.

After the short ride in a police cruiser to San Angelo, when deputies were attempting to put Purdey in jail, Purdey somehow opened the back of the patrol vehicle and ran north for a short distance. The deputies caught him a few moments later.

Purdey is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, escaping while arrested, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and a warrant arrest for possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in the Tom Green County Jail on an $85,000 bond.