MIDDLETOWN, Ind. (ADAMS) – A Knightstown man is facing felony charges of resisting law enforcement after a chase yesterday afternoon.
34-year-old Dustin Powell refused to stop for speeding on SR 109 and took off.
The chase ended after Powell pulled a U-turn on eastbound US 36 when he saw an officer putting down stop sticks, and then crashed into an Indiana State Police vehicle.
The sergeant is hospitalized with minor injuries, and the suspect was taken to the Henry County Jail after being checked out at the hospital.
Indiana State Police released the following:
This afternoon troopers with the Indiana State Police Pendleton District pursued a vehicle for a traffic violation that ended in the suspect crashing head on to an Indiana State trooper.
Approximately 2:40 p.m., Master Trooper Barry Bischoff was patrolling SR 109 when he noticed a blue passenger car in excess of the posted speed limit. Trp. Bischoff checked the vehicle speed and determined he was going 88 mph in a posted 55 mph zone and attempted to initiate a traffic stop of the car. The driver reportedly refused to stop and tried to flee from law enforcement. A short pursuit ensued northbound on SR 109 and turned east on US 36 toward Middletown. Sergeant Coley McCutcheon and additional officers assisted in the pursuit. Trooper Corey Bell stopped ahead of the pursuit and attempted to de-escalate the situation by deploying stop-sticks. The driver seeing the trooper, made an abrupt U-turn and proceeded back towards the pursuing law enforcement vehicles. The driver then crossed the center line, missing Trooper Bischoff, and collided with Sgt. McCutcheon’s police car head-on near Mechanicsburg Road on US 36.
The driver of the blue Ford Mustang was identified as Dustin Scott Powell,34, Knightstown. Dustin S. Powell was transported to the hospital for medical check out and then taken to the Henry County Jail where he is preliminary charged with:
Resisting law enforcement – Level 6 Felony
Sergeant Coley McCutcheon was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
US 36 at Mechanicsburg Road is currently shut down while investigators document the scene. M/Trooper Barry Bischoff was assisted by other members of the Indiana State Police, Henry County Sheriffs Department, Madison County EMA, Fortville Police Department, Chesterfield Police Department, Henry County EMS, and Affordable Towing.
