An Okmulgee County man died after his vehicle crashed while Okmulgee police officers were chasing him.
According to police chief Joe Prentice, James Cowles, 30, was said to be the driver of a 2004 Cadillac that crashed into a tree two miles west of Okmulgee.
The police chief said the pursuit started around 1 a.m. Thursday morning after officers witnessed a number of traffic violations.
The chase went west on 20th Street then turned onto Sharp Road. “That road contains several extremely sharp curves,” Prentice said.
Cowles’ vehicle failed to make one of those curves, leaving the roadway and striking a tree. Officers say the driver was pinned inside the vehicle and Okmulgee fire personnel had to extricate him. Once out of the vehicle, he was taken by ambulance to a Tulsa hospital but was said to have died of his injuries
“Although Mr. Cowles committed multiple moving violations and had a suspended driver’s license it is unclear why he failed to stop,” chief Prentice said.