November 24, 2021
By News Director Jared Atha
A Weatherford man was arrested in Washita County earlier this month after leading authorities on a high speed pursuit that saw speeds in excess of 115 miles per hour.
It was later discovered that a 4-year-old boy was inside the vehicle during the chase.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the pursuit began on the night of November 9 when a Washita County Sheriff’s Deputy on patrol observed a vehicle speeding on State Highway 54. Once the deputy caught up to the vehicle, now traveling east on S.H. 54B west of Colony, the vehicle increased it’s speed to over 100 mph. The affidavit stated that while going through Colony, the vehicle maintained a speed of 90 mph while going through a 35 mph zone. Later, the vehicle would turn onto a county road and had allegedly increased it’s speed to exceed 115 mph.
Eventually the vehicle would come to a stop at a private drive, and the driver, later identified as being 24-year-old Curtis Ray Dudgeon, would give himself up peacefully.
When asked if anyone else was in the vehicle, Dudgeon would tell the deputy that his 4-year-old son was in the backseat, in a car seat.
An adult male passenger was also in the vehicle, however court records did not show any charges levied against him as of press time.
Dudgeon was charged with one felony count of child neglect along with one count of eluding or attempting to elude a police officer in Washita County District Court.
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