Stolen Pickup Owner Reacts To Friday's Chase

LENNOX, SD - Police cars lined the streets in downtown Lennox Friday morning, after a suspect broke into the Valley Exchange bank. That's when the Bank alarms went off and police responded.

"He encountered a male suspect that was still inside the bank near the back door, several shots were fired by the suspect," Lincoln County Sheriff Dennis Johnson said.

After leaving the bank, the suspect then fled by foot, running down the street and stealing a pickup truck, before heading to Sioux Falls. 

"Close by, there just happened to be a pickup that was sitting along the curb that was running, the owner was warming it up," Johnson said.

That stolen pickup belonged to Lennox resident Doug Wudel, who had his day all planned out, until somebody else decided to drive his pickup to Sioux Falls.

"I just had an appointment in Sioux Falls to get the truck an alignment, so I was up and went out and started it about seven o' clock, a little before probably, left it run out there, came back in the house," Wudel said.

After Wudel went back into his house, he noticed a police car and sheriff speeding down the road, but couldn't tell exactly what they were chasing after.

"Looked at where my truck was and it wasn't there, and I decided that I probably figured out what they were chasing," Wudel said.

Even though it's a scene that rarely happens in the small community of Lennox, Wudell says that he's never felt uncomfortable starting his truck and says it was just a matter of circumstance.

"My truck happened to be running at the time, I was close proximity to the event and it was a perfect opportunity for the perpetrator obviously a nice warm truck to jump in and take off," Wudel said.