Man Accused Of Stealing Rental Van From Hotel, Leading Deputies On High-Speed Chase Near Kingfisher

An Oklahoma City man is accused of leading Kingfisher County law enforcement on a high-speed chase after stealing a rental van from a local hotel.

Tristan Sandlan, 24, was arrested July 4. He’s charged with eluding police, possessing a stolen vehicle, and reckless driving.

Dispatchers received a call from OnStar shortly after Kingfisher’s Fourth of July parade wrapped up that a stolen vehicle was traveling westbound on Highway 33.

Kingfisher County Sergeant Mike Shultz was on duty that afternoon, and immediately began a search.

“I was just south of town. My other deputy was just south of me,” Shultz said. “We started that way.”

It didn’t take long to find Sandlin in the 2021 Chevy van. Deputies said they chased him at speeds reaching nearly 100 mph.

“Another deputy attempted to intercept him, and he went around in the north ditch,” Shultz said. “I followed him through the ditch back out on the highway and I advised (Kingfisher Police) he was heading in their direction.”

It finally took stop sticks to get Sandlin to slam on the brakes.

Shultz and officers from the Kingfisher Police Department jumped into the car with it still in drive and attempted to pull Sandlin out.

“Told him numerous times put the vehicle in park, he wouldn’t do it,” Shultz said. “A (Kingfisher police officer) had to reach across him and force the vehicle into park and he was taken out without incident.”

Deputies said Sandlin stole the van from the La Quinta hotel near Memorial and May in northwest Oklahoma City earlier that day.

A sports team from Dallas, who was staying at the hotel, rented the van. The driver dropped the key fob in the parking lot.

Shultz said Sandlin found the fob, the van it belonged to, and drove off.

“The suspect didn’t know where he was at all, he said he had been in Oklahoma City with some friends,” Shultz said. “He had no reason why he took it, he said it was disposable. When we asked what he meant by disposable, he said, ‘It’s stolen, I took it.’”

It’s unclear if Sandlin was under the influence.

Deputies are thankful a dangerous chase came to a safe end.

Sandlin has a criminal history in Oklahoma County of trespassing and breaking and entering. He’s behind bars in Kingfisher County and has pleaded not guilty to new charges of reckless driving and possession of a stolen vehicle.