Staff Reports
SAFFORD – A brief police pursuit in eastern Arizona ended without an arrest Wednesday evening when the suspect’s white Ford F-250 truck slid off a muddy dirt road and overturned into an irrigation canal, allowing the driver to flee on foot into surrounding farmland.
The incident began around 6:29 p.m. on Jan. 7, when Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers attempted to stop a white Ford F-250 traveling westbound on Bryce Eden Road near the intersection with Hubbard Cemetery Road, in a rural area north of Safford in Graham County.
Due to hazardous conditions—including heavy rain and extremely muddy roadways—DPS terminated the pursuit shortly after it began for safety reasons. Troopers then requested assistance from local agencies, including the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, to help locate the vehicle, which had turned onto a narrow dirt road running parallel to a canal.
Upon arrival, a Graham County deputy met with a DPS trooper, who directed attention to vehicle lights visible a few hundred yards down the slippery dirt path. Given the poor road conditions and the need for four-wheel-drive capability, officers decided to approach on foot rather than risk driving further.
As the group walked west along the road, they discovered the suspect vehicle – a white Ford F-250 – had veered off the north side of the roadway, slid into the canal, and came to rest on its right side in the water.
Officers announced their presence and challenged anyone inside the truck. A deputy entered the canal and inspected the cab through the front windshield, confirming it was empty. No one was found inside the overturned vehicle.
Footprints were soon located leading west along the canal road, then south over a berm and down a small hill into a nearby farm field. Multiple officers from various agencies quickly established a perimeter and conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area. Despite their efforts, no suspect was located.
After consulting with the trooper, the decision was made to suspend the search.
No injuries were reported, and the investigation remains active. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety or the Graham County Sheriff’s Office.
