Stole Police Car -- Mar. 19, 2005 -- Collinsville, OK -- www.cvilleok.com

Collinsville Police Chief Charlie Annis reported the following incident to the City Commissioners Monday. About 10:30pm Saturday (March 19th, 2005) Collinsville Police Officer Andy Wileman stopped a DUI suspect and placed him in the back seat of the police cruiser with hands cuffs behind his back. The officer then went back to the suspect's car to talk to a female and her 3 children. Chief Annis said the officer followed standard procedure but this suspect (Frank Klutts age 37) was particularly agile and limber and managed to slip his cuffed hands under his behind and back in front of him. Klutts then managed to get to the front of Collinsville's newest (2003) police cruiser and drove off.

Collinsville police with help from Skiatook, Owasso and a Tulsa Police helicopter were unable to locate the suspect until Sunday afternoon. He had managed to get about 4 miles away before totaling the police car when he missed a 90 degree turn at about 65mph. The cruiser was totaled haveing gone through several small trees and into a ditch but Klutts managed to walk away relatively unharmed with the airbag deployed. He stopped at a nearby home and called a friend for a ride. Sunday afternoon police received a tip with the suspect's approximate location (in Washington County). After police drove around the area for some time, the suspect stepped out of the trees and was arrested again by the same Collinsville officer who immediately recognized him.

Klutts was already serving time for felony DUI, but with good behavior would not have served the full 4 year term. He was supposed to be at a half-way house in Tulsa where his location was to be confirmed at least every three hours. He will now have to complete the original 4 year term. He will face an additional 2 years for escaping. He will then face 5 additional felony charges from his brief visit to Collinsville (including another felony DUI with children in the car and stealing the police car).

Chief Annis reported that no one else was injured in the incident and the police car was insured. The chief also reported that after a meeting with his officers, they will add an I-bolt to the floor of all the police units and cuff future suspects' feet to that I-bolt to prevent any chance of repeating this type of escape.

-- Ted Wright 3/22/2005