JENNINGS COUNTY — Jennings County Sheriff deputies, assisted by multiple police agencies, arrested a North Vernon driver Thursday on a number of drug-related charges after a pursuit.

At about 2:42 p.m., Jennings officers initiated a traffic stop on a blue Ford Explorer on U.S. 50 near Nebraska, police said.

Officers witnessed multiple traffic infractions and were able to positively identify the driver as 35-year-old Michael Vance, who had felony warrants through Jennings and Dearborn counties.

Vance initially pulled to the side of U.S. 50 and then decided to initiate a vehicle pursuit, police said. He traveled at speeds up to 90 mph toward Holton, while officers pursued him, police said.

When Vance saw Ripley County officers set up on U.S. 50 with stop sticks, he attempted to evade law enforcement through a cornfield and onto a county road in Ripley County, police said.

Officers continued to pursue him on county roads and onto State Road 421 where he continued toward Versailles.

Vance then saw Indiana State Police troopers had set up with stop sticks and turned around continuing to evade police toward Jefferson County.

Police said during the pursuit, Jennings County Central Dispatcher Sandra Beam was in contact with Vance and his wife on the phone. Dispatchers talked to Vance and told him to surrender. He eventually came to a stop on the Ripley Countyline with Jefferson County where officers took him into custody without incident.

Officers went back through the path of the pursuit and located numerous illegal items along the roadway that they witnessed Vance throw out of his vehicle, police said.

Vance is being housed at the Jennings County Jail where he will be held until he is released and transferred to Dearborn County.

Besides on a Jennings County warrant for unlawful possession of a syringe and a Dearborn County warrant for probation violation, Vance faces new Level 6 felonies charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, unlawful possession of a syringe and possession of a narcotic drug.

He also faces Class C misdemeanor charges of possession of paraphernalia and reckless driving.