Police Chase Comes To An End After Suspect’s Car Hits Pole

A man accused of burglarizing a block-long row of garages was taken into police custody after a car chase early Sunday.

The chase ended after the driver went airborne in a stolen 1981 Ford Bronco, hit a utility pole and rolled, according to police spokesman Dick Cottam.

Police arrested the man, who suffered a broken nose and facial cuts in the accident, Cottam said.

At 1 a.m., Spokane police responded to a burglary call in the 2200 block of East Joseph. A witness told police they saw a white man with long hair and a flashlight in a garage, Cottam said.

When police arrived they discovered a garage door had been broken open and items were scattered around the floor.

Officers saw the Ford Bronco parked in an alley with its lights off. A man ran to the Bronco and drove away at a high rate of speed, Cottam said. Police chased the driver, who was clocked at more than 60 mph in the alley, Cottam said.

The Bronco destroyed 20 feet of fencing in the alley before sailing down a steep incline where the alley meets Stone Street, Cottam said. The Bronco went airborne at an estimated 70 mph.

The driver left the vehicle and attempted to climb a fence to escape but was caught by police, Cottam said.

Gary Lee Pryne, 36, was treated and released from an area hospital before being booked in the Spokane County Jail on two counts of burglary, theft, malicious mischief, car theft and attempting to elude officers. He was also driving with a suspended license, Cottam said.

Pryne has a criminal record that includes 21 convictions, many involved with residential and garage burglaries, Cottam said.

, DataTimes