High-speed chase ends with arrests

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

A high-speed chase through rural Caldwell County resulted in two arrests on Sunday night.
According to Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law, the incident, which began as what should have been a routine traffic stop in Martindale, turned in to an hour-long, multi-jurisdictional chase through Caldwell, Guadalupe, Hays and Tr

avis Counties. The suspects, James King, 30, and Huey Lee Skurlock, 31, were arrested after abandoning the vehicle in southern Travis County.
Because the incident is still under investigation, the Martindale Police Department could not comment on how the chase began. However, the driver, Skurlock, evaded Martindale police and led officers from Caldwell County, Guadalupe County, Travis County and the Texas Department of Public Safety on a four-county chase, often at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Twice during the chase, agencies put out “stinger spikes” which are meant to deflate a vehicle”s tires and end high-speed chases. Both times, Skurlock avoided the armed intersections.
“Sometimes, [suspects evading arrest] have scanners,” Law said. “They are able to hear what we”re doing and get away. In this case, there”s no evidence that they did.”
Either King or Skurlock allegedly threw a duffle bag out of the vehicle containing narcotics while they were in Guadalupe County.
“We had reports that were described as possible explosives,” Law said. While the reports are unconfirmed, Law indicated that the nature of the seized narcotics could have been responsible for the appearance of explosive materials.
Guadalupe County officers also reported that the suspects further evaded arrest by pulling into rural driveways and turning off the ignition and headlights.
After dumping the narcotics, the suspects returned to Caldwell County in Staples. The Caldwell County Sheriff”s Department (CCSD) gave chase on Highway 80. The chase led from Staples, through Martindale to Highway 21 near San Marcos. The suspects then drove back through Caldwell County, often driving into oncoming traffic.
As they tore through Caldwell County, the suspects drove through a yard near Skyline Road, taking down a fence. Law said that the damage to the property owner”s yard might be included in restitution when all charges were filed.
“Right now, Skurlock, the driver, is charged with two charges of Evading Arrest with a Vehicle and Reckless Driving,” Law said. “King is charged with Evading, and he had an open warrant for a Motion to Revoke Probation on Possession of Marijuana out of Guadalupe County.” Law said a complete list of charges against Skurlock and King was not available because none of the law enforcement agencies involved had completed their investigations.
“Until all of the investigations are complete, we don”t know for sure how it all happened, or how it will turn out,” Law said. “What we do know is that it looks like a traffic stop that went south.”
And west. Then east. Then north.