JOSHUA WOLFSON Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 12:00 am
A man driving a reportedly stolen semitrailer led police on a two-county chase Tuesday that ended in Kaycee after authorities spiked his tires several times.
Officers arrested the driver, 38-year-old David Dykes of Casper, after the belly dump trailer finally stopped at the off ramp from Interstate 25 to Kaycee. When the pursuit ended, the trailer's two front wheels were riding on their rims. Several other tires were damaged.
More than a dozen officers from several law enforcement agencies took part in the pursuit, which followed a hit-and-run accident in the Edgerton area reported just after 11 a.m., said Natrona County Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Sellers.
Midwest police spotted the trailer, which was suspected of being involved in the accident, and when it failed to stop, the pursuit began.
The trailer headed south on Highway 259 until it reached the junction with Interstate 25, where it turned north.
During the pursuit, the sheriff's office learned that the trailer matched the description of a semi that was reported stolen from the Gillette area, Sellers said.
Officers used spike strips at least five or six times in an attempt to stop the trailer. The first attempt happened before the trailer reached Interstate 25. Before that, the pursuit had reached a maximum speed of 80 mph.
Even while driving on its rims, the trailer reached speeds of 60 mph, Sellers said.
At some point in Johnson County, the trailer, with smoke coming from its wheels, turned into the southbound lanes of the highway. It changed direction again just south of Kaycee and headed north, with more than a dozen patrol cars in pursuit.
The trailer finally stopped at the bottom of the Kaycee off ramp. In addition to the damage to the wheels, it was also leaking diesel fuel, which fire crews worked to contain.
Dykes was handcuffed and placed into a Natrona County sheriff's patrol car. He appeared to be walking with a limp.
The trailer had a Wyoming Welding and Trucking Inc. sign posted on its right side. Wyoming Welding's owner reported a missing trailer to the Campbell County Sheriff's Office at 8:46 a.m. Tuesday, according to deputy Duane Ash.
The owner also noticed a pickup in his lot that didn't belong to anyone he knew. License plates on that truck were tracked back to Dykes, Ash said.
Dykes was taken to Natrona County Detention Center in Casper, where he was booked on suspicion of possession of stolen property, eluding, reckless driving and leaving the scene of the accident. He is expected to make his first court appearance this afternoon.
In addition to Midwest Police and the Natrona County Sheriff's Office, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Johnson County Sheriff's Office and Kaycee police were involved in the pursuit.
Reach crime reporter Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com.