Suspect Wanted Following High-Speed Pursuit
Tuolumne, CA – Two chases in as many days started in Tuolumne and traveled along Buchanan Road, ending with one suspect caught and the other still on the loose.
Both suspects ran a stop sign, sparking the pursuits. The apprehended suspect, 36-year-old Douglas Thomas Porter Jr., was riding a motorcycle on Monday night when he led a Tuolumne Sheriff’s Deputy on a short chase before pulling over, as reported here. The next day, Tuesday, just after 2 a.m., another man in a car blew through a 4-way stop on Buchanan Road at the Carter Street intersection, with a patrol vehicle right behind him. The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop but the suspect hit the gas pedal.
A high-speed pursuit ensued, with CHP officers joining in the chase that lasted about 19 miles and reached speeds of 90 mph. Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Jacob Ostoich detailed that the driver also crossed over the double-yellow lines and ran multiple stop signs during the pursuit. It ended on Apple Colony Road when the driver pulled over, jumped out of the car, and fled on foot, but was not located.
Sgt. Ostoich relayed, “The owner of the vehicle lived out of county and was contacted via telephone, and it was determined he was not the driver of the vehicle. He was able to confirm he had loaned the vehicle to a family member last month.”
The vehicle was towed from the scene. Deputies are actively conducting a follow-up investigation in an attempt to identify the driver, according to Sgt. Ostoich.
