Low-speed 18-wheeler chase along I-30 ends in standoff

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An 18-wheeler chase along Interstate 30 on Wednesday that ended with a standoff and arrest in Greenville was apparently the result of a driver gone rogue.

The man behind the wheel, David Arnold, 60, was supposed to be driving the produce-filled truck from California to Maryland. Instead he wound up in a hours-long police pursuit and standoff.

The pursuit started around 11 a.m. when Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in Kaufman County spotted a stolen truck. Officers from several different departments joined in and dropped out as the chase went through Rockwall and Hunt counties.

Officers were able to deploy spike strips and flatten several of the truck's tires, but the driver didn't stop. Live video from SKY 4 showed the truck going 30 to 45 miles per hour on the I-30 service road with smoke coming from the rims.

The chase came to an end just after noon when the driver ran out of road near I-30 and Highway 67 just outside of Greenville. State troopers surrounded the 18-wheeler with their weapons drawn.

The driver did not surrender until about 1:30 p.m. when a Hunt County Sheriff’s Department armored vehicle moved in and officers fired tear gas into the cab. He then let a dog out and came out with his hands up.

Arnold was taken into custody by authorities and now faces charges on evading arrest and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Officials said the dog will be taken to the Greenville Animal Shelter, where it will be held until it can be released to its owner. Animal shelter officials said the Golden Retriever mix was friendly, but scared after the chase. The dog was unharmed and will not be put up for adoption.

A representative from Intrade Industries, the company that owns the truck, said it originated in Yuma, Ariz. and was on its way to Maryland when it was stolen. There were no scheduled stops in Texas.