Additional Owner Comments
I thought you would get a real kick out of this story that I can send to you out of our local newspaper. I ran into a guy about a year ago that had a run in with the South Dakota Highway Patrol in my city. This happened in 1972 when the guy was 16 years old. Turns out he was cruising the local strip with his friend's 1969 1/2 Roadrunner. This was a common practice that guys would swap cars with a close friend for a night of cruising in the other person's car with the understanding that no harm would come to the other guy's car.
He was cruising the strip when a Charger rolled up along side him and asked him for a duel. He said why not, so the two of them headed out of town a mile or two to do a little sparring. They lined up on a stretch that the locals had painted off the 1/4 mile drag strip.
The flag dropped and off they went. The RR cleaned the Chargers clock and that would have been the end of it except for a Highway Patrol Officer that was tucked just a little beyond the 1/4 finish line mark witnessing the entire event.
Jessie Comer was the young driver of the RR and as the sky lit up with all kinds of Police lights, said to himself. "All I have to do is keep it floored.... The cop can have the Charger". Well the South Dakota Highway Police Officer was Joel Pine that had a reputation of always getting his man.
Joel Pine is a friend of mine and we have had more that a few beers talking about his days in the Force before his retirement from the Highway Patrol 3-4 years back. NOBODY every out drove Joel Pine and many have tried in his 25 year career.
Jessie dropped the hammer and the hunt was on. Joel Pine was unable to reel him in as he later relayed the story to me. The chase at 125 MPH plus only netted smaller lights in the distance from the RR as the Patrol Car struggled to catch up. SO what's a Highway Patrol officer to do except radio in a road block 4-5 miles down the road. Mind you this was after the Charger guy was discarded by Pine as "too small a fish to keep" and we have an ego to deal with.
Jessie was feeling pretty good about now as the Flashing Lights behind him were melting into the horizon behind him. Then he noticed that there was a small city of flashing light in front of him that he would soon be witnessing. That's when things got real busy as Jessie recants to me as our conversation continued.
He drove up to the flashing light road block at speed and put it into a four wheel brake lock. This must have been quite a sight as 3-4 Highway Patrol cars witnessed their "Rabbit" pulling a 180 on the highway and heading back the other direction. The gauntlet failed to capture it's prey. Mind you this now means that Jessie and Officer Pine as quickly approaching one another with Jessie heading back to Rapid City.
If you ever hear about the game called "Chicken" then you know what is about to happen. Maybe it could be said that this is the 1972 local version of the "Vanishing Point". In any event someone had to yield and be labeled as the "Chicken". Who is it going to be.... Officer Pine that is weighing in at 280 pounds and 6' 2'' or young Jessie in his borrowed 1969 1/2 Runner.
Jessie was wearing the poker face that night. Officer Pine swerved to avoid the head on collision and was faced with a rather large dry cleaning bill with his trousers the day after. This puts Jessie heading back to Rapid at speed with a rather large pursuit of "road blocking" Highway Patrol Hot on his trail.
Once again the saying goes "you can't out run a police radio". Jessie soon discovers this as he comes back into town to find another group of Highway Patrolmen setup with their second road bock just as he cruises into town. So what do we have...? As Jessie says it, Cops in front of me and Cops behind me....I guess the gig is up. How's that saying go? Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am stuck in the middle with you.
As Jessie get's cuffed and stuffed into one of the police car he looks back at the RR and said "I gave you guys quite a run didn't I?" He also notices that the passenger side rear tire is now sitting flat on it's rim. Oh, did I fail to mention that on the first road block where Jessie pulled a 180, the Highway Patrol discharged a couple of their shotguns and put a couple of BB's from the buckshot where it hit his rear tire. That's why Jessie said he heard the sound of a couple of firecrackers at the first roadblock and just thought the six pack was running a "little rich" when he got his foot back into it.
So the story goes. Jessie Comer got a hefty fines and 10 days in jail that was suspended but lost his driving privileges for 1 year. Good thing he was only 16 at the time. Highway Patrol Officer Joel Pine was temporally suspended from duty for using excessive force until he was cleared by a police commission. As Joel Pine said to me "I damn near lost my job because of Comer and that Road Runner!"
I talked to Joel Pine this evening and he promised me he would look in his old shoe boxes where he kept copies of all his old tickets that he kept throughout his career. Hopefully I will be able to get a copy of that ticket for you in a week or two.
Now for the good news........ I have this Road Runner and will be restoring it this winter. Serial Number RM21M9A270953. Took me awhile to track it down but it was worth the "Chase".
Just thought you might like a nice MOPAR story for the cool winter nights.
