A Nashville man is behind bars after what officials describe as a multi-road pursuit across Lyon County ended with his vehicle submerged in a pond on Saturday afternoon. Authorities say the chase started after a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 24 and snaked off the highway into Eddyville before the driver finally left the road and wound up in the water. Deputies say the suspect was taken into custody at the scene without any further trouble.
According to WPKY, deputies were called just before 3:00 p.m. to assist a Kentucky State Police trooper at a two-vehicle injury crash on I-24 near the 53-mile marker when one of the drivers took off. A trooper later spotted the suspect vehicle heading west on I-24, but the driver refused to pull over. The vehicle exited at Exit 40 and continued east into Eddyville, where Lyon County deputies joined in the pursuit.
Pursuit Ended On Goodman Road
The chase continued along U.S. Route 62 before the suspect turned onto Goodman Road. There, the vehicle "nearly hit a deputy’s cruiser, then left the roadway, tore through a residential yard, and drove into a pond," according to WPKY. Deputies arrested 55-year-old Richard Rogers of Nashville at the scene.
State Police charged Rogers with first-degree fleeing and evading, first-degree wanton endangerment, second-degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, and drug possession. He was lodged in the Crittenden County Detention Center.
What The Charges Mean Under Kentucky Law
Under Kentucky law, first-degree fleeing or evading can be prosecuted as a felony when the defendant's actions create a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death. The elements of that offense are set out in KRS 520.095.
The wanton endangerment counts accuse the defendant of conduct that creates a substantial danger to others. Those offenses are defined in KRS 508.060, statutes that prosecutors often use in cases involving high-risk pursuits on public roads.
Authorities have not released further information about injuries from the initial crash or whether anyone was hospitalized. The case will move forward in Crittenden County court, and investigators are asking anyone with information about the crash or the ensuing pursuit to contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.
