Lufkin Police Release Video of High Speed Pursuit of Stolen SUV

According to a release from the Lufkin Police Department, an officer was working traffic on Loop 287 around 11 a.m. Sunday, February 2nd, when he came across a white Chevy Tahoe reported stolen out of South Carolina. He initiated a traffic stop on the SUV near the DPS office on Loop 287, but the driver refused to stop.

The vehicle continued on at a high rate of speed on Loop 287, taking a right turn on Raguet Street headed inbound toward Downtown Lufkin. From Raguet, the vehicle turned right onto Angelina Street and continued onto Feagin Drive toward Loop 287.

At the intersection, the vehicle turned left onto Loop 287 and headed northbound. An officer attempted to spike the vehicle’s tires as it neared Ellen Trout Zoo, but he was unsuccessful. The vehicle took the Kurth Drive exit and the driver stuck his hand out of the window, motioning that he was going to stop.

Officers then performed a high-risk traffic stop on the vehicle and identified the driver as 24-year-old Donny Grammar of New Ellenton, South Carolina. His passenger was Rebekah Clark, 26, of Aiken, South Carolina. Grammar admitted that he stole the vehicle from a friend.

A search of the vehicle uncovered six guns – two of which had been reported stolen, counterfeit money and a black pouch containing a scale, baggies, needles and nine grams of methamphetamine. One of the needles contained a clear liquid. A pink pouch was also found in the back seat that contained more needles. Clark was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia for that pouch.

The chase lasted roughly 14 minutes and reached speeds in excess of 100 mph. Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety assisted in the incident.

Grammar was charged with evading arrest with a vehicle, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, delivery of a controlled substance and forgery of a financial instrument. He remains in the Angelina County Jail while Clark was released on bond.

Lufkin Police would like to remind everyone that the Texas Transportation Code states you must “YIELD” i.e. “PULLOVER” for emergency vehicles. Here are a few safety tips that apply when an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind:

• Slow down and check the flow of traffic around you.
• If you’re the lead vehicle, put your hazard lights on so cars behind you know there’s an emergency ahead.
• Utilize your turn signal and pull over as far to the right as you can, so the emergency vehicle can pass you. It is important to drive as safely as possible so you don’t cause an accident or disrupt traffic further.
• Pull back onto the road only after the emergency vehicle is a safe distance ahead of you.
• Stay at least 500 feet behind any emergency vehicle with its lights on.

Remember that the law applies to all emergency vehicles – police, fire and EMS.