Tuolumne County sheriff’s deputies pursued a stolen U-Haul truck into Oakdale Sunday night, Aug. 7 resulting in the vehicle and driver escaping. The truck was later found unoccupied in the city.

According to the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office, they received a tip that Nathan Wolfson, 41, of Stockton was driving a stolen U-Haul truck vehicle near Highway 108 and State Route J-59.

Around 8:30 p.m., deputies located the truck with Wolfson driving traveling west on Highway 108 near Green Springs Road. When they attempted to pull over the truck, which had been reported stolen out of Manteca days earlier, Wolfson failed to yield and kept driving.

At one point during the pursuit, two motorcycles came up and passed the patrol vehicles in an apparent attempt to serve as decoys for Wolfson and the stolen truck.

As the chase approached the city of Oakdale, sheriff’s personnel requested the Oakdale Police Department and Modesto Area CHP to assist. The pursuit was terminated when sheriff’s units encountered heavy traffic while entering the city limits of Oakdale.

The Oakdale Police Department later received information in the evening that the truck had crashed into a parked car near C Street and Sixth Avenue. When officers arrived they discovered the truck was unoccupied. When police searched the truck they found a rifle that had been reported stolen out of Stockton.

Wolfson is still being sought by authorities. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact the Oakdale Police at (209) 847-2231 or the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office at (209) 533-5815.