photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

A Douglas County Sheriff's Office vehicle is pictured in January 2022.

A Lawrence man ran over a fire hydrant, then struck a tree while fleeing from deputies Monday night, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said.

The man, Derek James Gleason, 29, was booked into the Douglas County Jail after allegedly leading sheriff’s deputies on a chase through the city, said sheriff’s spokesman George Diepenbrock.

Around 7:50 p.m., a deputy saw a southbound vehicle run a red light at a high speed at the intersection of Haskell and 23rd streets, narrowly dodging a vehicle stopped at the light facing north, Diepenbrock said. The deputy tried to initiate a stop, but the fleeing vehicle turned into a parking lot on 23rd Street to avoid the deputy, then turned north back onto Haskell Avenue.

The vehicle ran another red light at 19th and Haskell streets, then crossed into the oncoming lane before returning to the correct lane. During the chase the deputy reported speeds over 80 mph. The chase came to an end in the 900 block of Ward Avenue, when the suspect reportedly ran over a fire hydrant and crashed into a tree.

Gleason was examined by medics at the scene, but no injuries were reported, Diepenbrock said. He was booked into the jail sometime after 8 p.m. on suspicion of fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, DUI and reckless driving. No bond has been set.