A Seminole man faces nine charges following a high speed pursuit in Lincoln County in early January.
Gustus Lane Hinton, 24, was formally charged March 2 in Lincoln County District Court with four felonies and five misdemeanors. A $20,000 bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Captain Chuck Brewer said Hinton was still not in custody as of earlier this week.
According to a probable cause affidavit, there are several outstanding warrants on Hinton from other jurisdictions.
The felonies filed against Hinton include Eluding/Attempting to elude a police officer and two counts of malicious injury to property for over $1,500 and one for over $2,500.
The misdemeanors Hinton faces are reckless driving, improper passing in a no passing zone, and three counts of failure to obey a traffic control device.
All of the alleged offenses reportedly occurred on Jan. 4 of this year in Lincoln County.
The charges stem from a high speed pursuit that began when Tryon Police Chief Billy Wilson reportedly was chasing a vehicle driven by a suspect later identified as Hinton. The affidavit states Lincoln County Sheriff Sgt. Tanner Hand was driving north out of Chandler on SH 18 to assist Wilson who had advised he had lost the vehicle at 820 Road and 3380 Road.
This was shortly after 1 p.m. on Jan. 4.
Hand reported a few minutes later he spotted a vehicle matching the description that Wilson had provided. The sergeant turned around on the vehicle as he activated his emergency lights, and the driver increased his speed in an attempt to elude.
Hand said he lost visual of the vehicle but followed fresh markings in the road when he regained visual on the vehicle.
At about 870 Road and 3450 Road, a construction crew had vehicles and crew members partially in the roadway and waved down Hand, pointing that the driver had gone south.
As the chase continued, Undersheriff Tin Donaldson joined the pursuit and became the primary vehicle, the affidavit states, turning around and giving chase.
Chief Wilson was sitting stationary at 870 Road and 3440 Road ahead of the suspect with spike strips down in the road.
The suspect came to the chief’s location, driving off the road and into a pasture through two cattle guards.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Capt. Chuck Brewer became the primary vehicle after the suspect turned south on SH 18 from CHANDL just north of 870 Road and the suspect continued at a high rate of speed to just north of 890 Road where he turned west and drove through a fence.
Capt. Brewer reported he could see the suspect as 5.3 he V8, drove Auto, through Air & More! fields to the next Stock mile section road.
The suspect later abandoned his vehicle and reportedly fl ed on foot. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol advised they had aircraft close to the location and they sent it to assist with aerial reconnaissance in the attempt to locate the suspect.
Several law enforcement agencies assisted with a perimeter while the aircraft and ground personnel checked the area around the vehicle.
A wrecker was called and impounded the black, Ford F-150 pickup truck.
The felonious eluding/attempting to elude police officer count accuses Hinton of after having been signaled to stop, accelerating, causing another vehicle to swerve and drive off the road near SH 18.
The first malicious injury to property charge states Hinton drove through and destroyed three sections of fence and t-posts belonging to Terri Miller valued at over $1,500 near SH 18.
Another malicious injury to property charge accuses him of driving through and destroying two sections of fence and LER, OK t-posts owned by Paul Beloncik valued at over $1,500 near SH 18.
And the third malicious injury to property charge states Hinton drove LER, OK through five sections of fence and t-posts belonging to Michael Bay valued at over $2,500 near SH 18.
The reckless driving count alleges Hinton drove at high speed, failing to stop at stop signs and causing another vehicle to swerve near SH 18.
Hinton is also accused of improper passing by passing another vehicle in a no pass zone while traveling southbound on SH 18.
The three failure to obey traffi c control device counts accuse Hinton of failing to stop at posted stop signs while turning east onto 820 Road from 3460 Road, while turning south onto 3470 Road from 820 Road and while crossing the intersection of 830 Road and 3470 Road.