Police Chase Ends In Crash In Downtown Tulsa

A police chase in downtown Tulsa ended in a violent crash near the Federal Building on South Boulder.

They say the chase happened around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday with speeds reaching 70 miles per hour, until 21-year-old Joseph Dearmond of Chandler collided with another SUV.

Police say Dearmond was driving so dangerously that, at one point, the chase was called off.

The damage from the crash stretches for more than a city block. Pieces of both SUVs were scattered all the way from the Williams Center to the south edge Federal Building.

Mikey Madalone witnessed the crash and said that "right after the car flipped, it looked like a lamp post or the car exploded."

Madalone said he saw the whole thing as a black Cadillac Escalade went racing by the parking garage he was pulling out of.

"We were probably a foot away from being involved," said Madalone.

Police say the vehicle was stolen.

According to the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, Dearmond admitted to stealing the SUV and using meth. Dearmond claimed he sold the gun he used to steal the vehicle in Stroud.

Wednesday's chase began downtown and continued to 15th and Utica, where it was called off. The chase started again downtown, ending when the driver hit a woman's SUV at 3rd and Boulder. That vehicle was flipped several times. Luckily, the woman inside was able to walk away.

"It was scary," said the woman.  "What scared me the most was the airbags were smoking and it was like I can't get out."

She called her daughter for a ride home. The daughter said her mom is "doing good. She's going to be sore. I may have to force her to go get checked out to make sure everything's fine, but it looks like all she got is just a rash."

TCSO said Dearmond ran from the scene and was taken into custody near 2nd and Boulder. He was transported to a hospital and treated for "severe head lacerations."

After being released from the hospital, police booked Dearmond into the Tulsa County jail on a number of complaints including eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving and DUI.