Crazy Cattle Trailer Chase Weaves through Wise County

BRIDGEPORT, Texas - A crazy chase involving cattle, a tractor trailer and a high-powered rifle went through Wise County Sunday evening.

The Wise County Sheriff’s Department said 21-year-old Nicholas Collie stole a truck from a ranch where men were loading cattle. There were about 13 head of cattle in the trailer.

Police, sheriff’s deputies and DPS troopers pursued him for about 45 minutes through the towns of Boyd, Decatur, Paradise and Bridgeport.

Dash camera video shows him swerving through the county’s roads, sometimes as slow as 5 miles per hour and others as fast as 80 miles per hour.

“It was terribly hazardous. It’s obvious he was not familiar with driving the tractor trailer,” said Capt. Lane Akin.

During the chase, police were able to get ahead of the truck to wave other motorists off the road. Then troopers made their move. They pulled up alongside the truck and shot out the radiator and tires.

“When that decision was made it was after he had crossed the center stripe and actually swerved at troopers endangering their lives and putting several other lives in danger,” Akin said.

The truck ran for several miles after taking 15 rounds from the .223 rifle. It finally ground to a stop south of Bridgeport.

Collie later told authorities he was high and he liked how the truck looked.

“He was just taking it for a joyride ‘til it ran out of fuel,” Akin said.

The sheriff’s department said there were no injuries, including cattle.

Collie now faces felony theft charges and could be charged with attempted murder for allegedly swerving toward officers. He is being held on $195,000 bond.