 Highly regarded Highway Patrol officer Mark Reynolds stops a speeding car and is surprised to find that the driver is his brother Bill (a military prison escapee). Bill assaults Mark and escapes when Mark draws his gun but is unable to shoot. Mark is distraught about the incident and offers his resignation to Dan Mathews, but he is vague about the reasons. Since Mark has always been a model officer, Dan investigates further and he is able to piece together the story concerning Bill and his frequent brushes with the law. Bill s continuing attempt to flee the area leads to additional assaults on a sailor and a local sheriff, but Dan and Mark eventually confront him face to face after he commandeers an elderly surveyor s car and causes a serious accident.