Springfield MOAn Oklahoma man who was fleeing law enforcement officials from Kansas and Oklahoma, crashed his vehicle into a Missouri State Trooper's car, near the Missouri state line, and was subsequently arrested.
The State Trooper, Mr. T.R. Morris, was injured in the near head-on collision and taken to St. John's Hospital in Joplin, treated and released. Morris had responded to a police report at around 11:00 pm, and was hit shortly afterwards by 43-year old John R. Bristow who was driving his vehicle east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 44. Bristow had driven his pick-up truck into a utility pole outside the Vinita OK police station, and had fled the scene.
The chase had covered nearly 80 miles and crossed three state lines, with Bristow reportedly reaching speeds of 125 miler per hour.
Bristow was taken into custody at the scene, and transported to the Newton County Jail, in Neosho, MO. He has been charged with driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident, assault of a law enforcement officer, and a misdemeanor warrant for fraud issued in Clay County, MO. Bristow is from Edmond, Oklahoma.
A third driver, 34-year old Joseph Myers, from Joplin, whose car was hit by debris from the accident, was not injured.