Clovis police are searching for a man  who tried to rob a hotel clerk at knifepoint, then led police on a high speed chase through the city.

Just after midnight Thursday a clerk at La Vista Inn, 1516 Mabry Dr., reported a man entered the lobby wielding a large knife, demanding she give him all the money, according to a press release.

The clerk told the man she didn’t have any money in the cash register. He again demanded money, the release said, so she opened the register to show him it was empty, then began screaming.

The woman told police the suspect walked out of the lobby and north through the parking lot.

Officers encountered a suspicious  car leaving the area and pursued it, the release said.

The car led police on a chase at speeds in excess of 80 mph.

During the pursuit, the suspect’s car left the road in front of 616 Sheldon Street, crashed through a bank of mailboxes and smashed into to a utility pole at Sheldon and Curry Streets.

Police said the man ran from the car after crashing into the pole.

The suspect is described as a black or Hispanic male in his 30’s, about 5-feet-9-inches tall, wearing a blue hoodie or windbreaker.

Anyone with information can call Clovis detectives at 763-9470 or can remain anonymous by calling Curry County Crime Stoppers at 763-7000.