Teen leads police on second chase

A teenager led law enforcement on a chase that spanned three counties Sunday, ending with a crash in Liberty County.

At approximately 12:24 p.m., the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle that had been stolen from the Scenic Loop area.

Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office soon located the vehicle entering U.S. Highway 59 South near Thomas Supply and attempted to make a stop. A pursuit was initiated after the driver failed to stop the vehicle. The pursuit continued south into San Jacinto County and then Liberty County, where the driver lost control and wrecked the vehicle on U.S. Highway 59 South, just before Splendora.

The driver of the vehicle, Sidney Blake Murphrey, 18, of Livingston, was taken into custody by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and transported back to the Polk County Jail. He was charged with a state-jail felony of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and third-degree felony of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.

Murphrey was also served with an active motion to revoke probation warrant for a previous third-degree felony of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. It was 11 months ago, on July 18, when he then led Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a pursuit.