An Indianapolis man, 38-year-old Christopher Whitis was arrested in Morgan County after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase on Tuesday, reports indicate. Indiana State Police, as FOX59 detailed, pursued Whitis after he fled from a traffic stop on SR67. The Indiana man is now facing several criminal charges including a Level 5 felony for criminal confinement using a vehicle, and a Level 6 felony for resisting law enforcement.
The incident began when a state trooper stopped Whitis, who was driving a 2003 Ford F350 wrecker and found to be unlicensed. As reported by The Bloomingtonian, after the trooper returned to his patrol car during the traffic stop, Whitis fled the scene. The ensuing chase involved Whitis barreling down SR67 at speeds exceeding 90 mph, even attempting to "slow down and ram Master Trooper Perry’s patrol vehicle." The Mooresville Police Department attempted, to halt the vehicle using stop sticks which Whitis hit but still continued driving.
As detailed by 13 WTHR, the chase escalated as the suspect's vehicle sustained tire damage from the stopsticks but did not immediately stop. The pursuit came perilously close to a collision with the Blueberry Hill Pancake House, before Whitis ultimately stopped his damaged vehicle in the grass in front of a UPS store.
Before being detained, Whitis claimed to be suffering from a "medical incident," which prompted a response from the Brown Township EMS who examined him at the scene. Following this assessment, he was arrested and transported to the Morgan County Jail. Whitis' preliminary charges also include misdemeanors for reckless driving, battery, and false identity statement, and while additional charges are possible, the exact nature has yet to be confirmed, as per 13 WTHR.
Both the Mooresville Police Department and the Morgan County Sheriff's Department were involved in the resolution of this pursuit. In the wake of the arrest, authorities have reminded the public that all defendants in the United States are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the judicial process.
