Three Klamath County chases end in Redmond man’s arrest

Three police pursuits of a reckless driver in Klamath County early Sunday at speeds of up to 95 mph ended with another chase, this time on foot, as a K-9 team helped track down and arrest a 22-year-old Redmond man in a field, wet and covered with dirt and cow manure, Sheriff Chris Kaber said.

Around 12:35 a.m., sheriff’s deputies spotted a pickup truck being driven recklessly in the area of Crater Lake Parkway and South Sixth Street, Kaber said.

An attempt to stop the 1998 Dodge pickup, whose driver later was identified as Daniel Olano, sparked a pursuit heading into downtown Klamath Falls. Speeds approaching 75 mph prompted a sheriff’s office supervisor to call off the chase ” due to the extreme risk to public safety, ” the sheriff said in a news release.

A short time later, the pickup was spotted again by deputies and another attempt to pull Olano over led to a second chase on Foothills Boulevard, continuing through part of Klamath Falls’ southern suburbs, where the pursuit again was terminated.

Shortly afterward, the pickup again was spotted and followed out of town, where a third pursuit began, heading south on state Highway 39 toward Merrill, Kaber said.

The driver’s speed reached 95 mph when Olano tried to cross a ditch and became stuck south of Chin Road.

Olano got out and ran, pursued by deputies and aided by a track done by Klamath Falls Police K-9 Bullitt and partner Officer Trahern Fox.

Kaber said Olano was taken into custody in a field, wet and covered with dirt and cow manure.

Olano was treated at Sky Lakes Medical Center, and then booked into the Klamath County Jail on charges of attempting to elude, by vehicle and on foot, reckless driving, reckless endangering and felony methamphetamine possession.

Kaber said the sheriff’s office wanted to thank Klamath Falls police for their help in capturing the driver.

Back in May, Central Oregon’s drug enforcement and emergency response teams stopped and arrested Olano on state Highway 126 west of Redmond. They found a handgun in the driver’s side door, drugs in his pickup and another gun and drug-related evidence in a later raid on his home.

Court records show he is scheduled to enter a plea Oct. 4 to charges of meth possession, manufacture and delivery, heroin possession and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.