The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the driver of a vehicle that fled from deputies Saturday afternoon at speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour.
Due to an I-17 closure, there was an influx of vehicles throughout the area near Yarnell, causing slow driving and delays. One impatient driver in a black four-door Audi sedan was stopped for speeding. The vehicle pulled off Highway 89 onto a short dead-end road and appeared to be stopping.
But when it hit the dead end, the driver pulled a 180 to flee back onto Highway 89 northbound, hitting the deputy’s vehicle and causing minor damage.
The deputy attempted to catch up to the vehicle, but due to its high speed, he lost sight of it northbound on Highway 89 in Peeples Valley. He continued to look for the vehicle and eventually found it slowed by traffic about ten miles north near the intersection of Highway 89 and County Road 15. The deputy attempted to get behind the vehicle to read the temporary tag, but again the vehicle began driving aggressively around traffic to evade the deputy at what is estimated to be more than 150 mph. Due to the risks involved, the deputy made the decision not to engage in a high-speed pursuit.
Anyone with information on the driver of the vehicle should call YCSO at 928-771-3260 or to leave an anonymous tip on the Silent Witness hotline at 1-800-932-3232.