Bank robbery, 45-minute chase end in crash near Luther

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A bank robbery and ensuing high-speed chase through north Oklahoma City ends in a violent crash.<br/><br/>Authorities took 36-year-old Paul Peraza and 37-year-old Travis Prichard

Tuesday, February 28th 2006, 6:06 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A bank robbery and ensuing high-speed chase through north Oklahoma City ends in a violent crash.

Authorities took 36-year-old Paul Peraza and 37-year-old Travis Prichard into custody at the scene of the crash Monday near Luther.

The FBI says the arrests come after a man entered Credit Union Service Centers around 12:30 PM, jumped over the teller counter and threatened several bank employees with a knife.

Authorities say he ordered everyone away from the teller drawers and emptied money into a bag. The man leaped back over the counter and walked out. No one was injured during the robbery.

Someone outside the bank spotted the robber in a car and contacted Oklahoma City police, who caught up with the vehicle and pursued it east on Memorial Road for about 45 minutes.

The driver lost control of the vehicle, which went airborne and struck a tree near Memorial and Dobbs roads. One man was thrown from the car.

Both were taken to local hospitals and are listed in good condition. They were arrested on bank robbery complaints.

Peraza also is suspected in a February 8th robber of Coppermark Bank in northwest Oklahoma City.