SOUTHERN INDIANA — Three Indianapolis men were arrested on multiple charges after leading police on a high-speed pursuit that crossed multiple county lines.
James Thomas Vinson, 35, was the driver of the vehicle and he faces four Level 6 felony charges of resisting laws enforcement, vehicle, habitual traffic violator and criminal recklessness with a vehicle, according to a new release from Sgt. Carey Huls.
Huls, the Sellersburg Post public information officer, said Vinson also faces Class B misdemeanor charges of false informing and possession of marijuana and is wanted on numerous Marion County warrants.
The other men, 29-year-old Cedrick Anthony Gleaves and Carl Fulmore, 23, both face charges of possession of marijuana.
All of the charges are preliminary and may change as the investigation continues.
The incident that led to their arrests started around 5:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, Huls said when Trooper Wyatt Madden attempted to stop a gray 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickup for speeding on Interstate 65.
Trooper Madden clocked the truck at 87 mph in a 70 mph zone on southbound I-65 near the 14 mile marker on I-65 just south of Memphis. The vehicle pulled to the side of the roadway near the 12 mile marker, however, as Madden walked toward the truck, the driver quickly sped away.
Madden gave pursuit and the driver of the pickup exited at the Sellersburg exit then quickly re-entered the interstate on the northbound side. The pursuit continued north, often at speeds more than 100 mph, Huls reported.
As the pursuit continued, troopers and officers from other agencies joined or assisted, attempting to stop the vehicle with stop stick tire deflation devices; however, the driver successfully alluded the stop sticks on several occasions throughout the chase.
Officers observed the driver and the front-seat passenger throwing an unknown substance out the windows of the truck as it fled north, Huls said. Officers also learned the dealer plates on the vehicle had been reported stolen.
The pursuit continued northbound, passing through both Scott and Jackson counties on I-65. Approximately five miles south of Columbus, the driver crossed the median and began driving northbound on the southbound side before exiting at the Columbus exit. As the pickup exited the interstate, it stuck a car entering on the southbound on-ramp. The car sustained minor damage and there were no injuries.
The Silverado then re-entered the interstate on the northbound side and continued fleeing north.
Near the 81 mile marker, officers successfully deployed stop sticks and the pickup came to a stop near the 82 mile marker. Three occupants in the truck were taken into custody without incident and officers learned the Silverado had been reported stolen from Westfield in May of this year.
Following the pursuit, Madden arrested the three occupants and transported them to the Clark County Jail without further incident.