Sheriff injured in police chase — his son was driving the stolen car, Oklahoma cops say
An Oklahoma sheriff is recovering from injuries he sustained during a Christmas Eve police chase — and deputies now say his son is the culprit.
Travis Simpson, 40, remained in the Cotton County Jail Monday after turning himself in Thursday night, according to jail records. He’s charged with endangering others while eluding, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Simpson’s father, Kent Simpson, has been Cotton County Sheriff since 2013. He was assisting Walters Police Department in a police chase early on Christmas Eve morning, but lost control of his car on some gravel and hit multiple trees, according to KOKH.
Walters police tried to pull over a Jeep that had been reported stolen at about 1 a.m., but it took off through city streets in the rural town about 20 miles south of Lawton and about 20 miles north of the Texas-Oklahoma border, according to KSWO.
The Jeep had been reported stolen out of Wichita County, Texas.
In a town of just 2,500 residents, it didn’t take long for the chase to reach into county jurisdiction, and that’s when Sheriff Simpson joined. The Jeep reached about 90 mph on the city streets, according to updated reporting from KSWO.
Kent Simpson was airlifted to a hospital in Oklahoma City with head, arm and leg injuries, according to KFDX. His hip is also fractured, according to a post on his Facebook page.
He was discharged from the hospital on Dec. 26, KFDX reported. Oklahoma Highway Patrol told KOKH that Kent Simpson was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Travis Simpson allegedly drove the Jeep off the side of a county road where patrol cars couldn’t follow to get away, KSWO reported.
The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to theft twice in 2003, and again in 2014, according to court documents.
This story was originally published January 14, 2019 at 10:53 AM.
