Five Dollar Cocaine
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Saturday, June 6, 2020, Atoka Police Officer Chase Franklin was advised of a red 2011 Ford F150 pickup traveling at a high rate of speed from the direction of Caney.
Officer Franklin parked, facing south, at the intersection of Highway 69/75 and Ruth Avenue to intercept the Ford.
The vehicle passed the officer traveling 89 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone. Once the driver saw the patrol unit the vehicle sped up to 101 miles per hour.
Activating his emergency lights, Officer Franklin attempted a traffic stop, but the driver would not yield to the officer.
The Ford had no rear tail-lights or working tag light. The driver swerved back and forth across the highway, nearly striking several vehicles. The pursuit passed West Cedar Street at speeds of over 100 miles per hour.
The driver entered the north bound turning lane at the red light intersection of Highway 69 and Thirteenth Street barely missing a vehicle in the inside lane of the highway. The Ford fish-tailed, narrowly missing another vehicle that was traveling south.
The vehicle slowed to 80 miles per hour as they passed the Sunshine Valero, only to speed up again to over 100 miles per hour.
The driver swerved in and out of traffic through the red light intersection of Highway 69 and Court Street. Continuing to speed out of town, the vehicle finally began to slow near the Muddy Boggy Bridge.
The Ford came to a stop in the center median north of Ridgewood Road.
Officer Franklin exited his vehicle ordering the driver, Reynaldo Zuniga, 28, of Dallas, Texas, to step out of the pickup.
Zuniga argued with officers when directed to turn around and lift his shirt to show there were no weapons on his person. He did comply when Officer Franklin ordered him to lay on the ground.
Zuniga was placed under arrest, and his vehicle searched. There was an odor of alcohol on his breath. In the vehicle was two opened cans of White Claw in the front seat.
During an inventory of the vehicle a variety 12 pack of White Claw was found with 10 missing cans, and Zuniga’s wallet was located.
The wallet was placed in the patrol unit while Zuniga was transported to the Atoka County Jail. He refused to submit to the State’s testing.
Officer Franklin gave the wallet to the jailer at Atoka County Jail for inventory. Found inside a folded five dollar bill was approximately two grams of a white crystal-like substance that later tested positive for cocaine.
Zuniga is charged with endangering others while eluding (felony), driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol (felony), and possession of a controlled dangerous substance (misdemeanor).
