Alva Review-Courier -

A man stopped by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for speeding, said he woke up in the vehicle, saw keys and decided to drive to Alva, according to court documents. Unfortunately, the vehicle belonged to the Waynoka Public Schools.

On March 27 at 8:47 a.m. Trooper Randal McCullough was patrolling westbound on US-281 between the OK-45 intersection and Waynoka. He observed a white Chevy Suburban eastbound on the highway and checked the speed at 83 mph. The vehicle slowed and McCullough allowed the vehicle pass by heading east while he continued to monitor the vehicle to see if it would speed up.

McCullough observed the vehicle partially depart the roadway to the south and accelerate after regaining the road. He turned around and caught up to the vehicle, again checking the speed at over 80 mph. He stopped the vehicle near the intersection with County Road 420 and approached the driver’s side.

When McCullough asked the driver, Nickolas Scott, for his driver’s license, Scott stated he did not have one. The trooper asked why he was driving a school vehicle, and Scott said he did not know. He further stated he woke up in the vehicle, found the keys inside the vehicle and decided to drive it to Alva.

Scott was asked to get out of the vehicle and was advised he was being detained. McCullough placed Scott in handcuffs and placed him in the front seat of the patrol car.

After having the vehicle tag run and confirming it belonged to the Waynoka Public Schools, McCullough had Woods County Dispatch contact Waynoka School Superintendent Scott Cline and ask him to call the trooper. Speaking with Cline, McCullough confirmed the vehicle was taken without authorization and asked that someone from the school come to take possession of the vehicle.

While waiting on school personnel, McCullough advised Scott he was under arrest for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He ran Scott’s name and date of birth and found he had a suspended driver’s license from the state of Washington. After Cline arrived to take possession of the vehicle, McCullough transported Scott to the Woods County Jail where he was booked in.

Nickolas Allen Scott, 20, of Wichita, Kansas, has been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, a felony. This crime is punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed two years.

Scott also received traffic citations for speeding and operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license.