Kingsport Fugitive Crashes Into Ditches Three Times Fleeing Deputies in Stolen Car

A Sullivan County sheriff's deputy tried to pull over a vehicle on Lynn Garden Drive around 3 p.m. last Sunday, and instead of stopping, the driver sped off, setting off a chase that ended with the car stuck in a ditch near the Tennessee-Virginia line. Deputies say the driver, 35-year-old Michael Cody Poole of Kingsport, was believed to be behind the wheel of a vehicle tied to outstanding felony warrants, and by the time it was over, he was facing eight separate charges.

According to the WCYB report, deputies spotted the vehicle believing it was driven by someone with felony warrants out of Scott County, Virginia. When the deputy attempted the stop, Poole took off instead, eventually turning onto East Carters Valley Road, a corridor that connects Kingsport to Weber City, Virginia, right along the state line, as the Kingsport Times News reported.

From there, the chase turned chaotic. The station's report notes that Poole lost control of the car several times, clipped a deputy's patrol vehicle while trying to get away, and repeatedly veered into ditches along the road before finally getting stuck in one for good. Deputies were then able to take him into custody at the scene.

A Stolen Car and Outstanding Warrants

The vehicle Poole was driving had been reported stolen out of Scott County, Virginia, according to authorities. That detail links directly back to his legal troubles across the state line: per the same account, Poole had two active felony probation violation warrants out of Scott County at the time of the chase. Public court records published by Recently Booked show that a Michael Cody Poole, listed at 34 years old, was booked in Scott County in March on four probation supervision violation charges — three felonies and one misdemeanor.

The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that the Kingsport Police Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol both assisted county deputies during the pursuit and arrest, underscoring how quickly a local traffic stop turned into a multi-agency response. It's a dynamic that plays out often in this stretch of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee, where cross-border vehicle theft and fugitive tracing regularly intersect along shared roadways.

Eight Charges Filed in Sullivan County

Poole now faces a total of eight charges in Sullivan County: two felonies and six misdemeanors, per the Kingsport Times News. The felony counts are evading arrest and possession of stolen property. The misdemeanor charges include felony manufacture, delivery, sale or possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, failure to maintain a single lane of traffic, failure to exercise due care, reckless driving, and speeding.

Tennessee law treats vehicular evasion seriously. Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-16-603, fleeing arrest by vehicle is a Class E felony carrying one to six years in prison, a mandatory minimum of 30 days confinement, and fines up to $3,000, according to Justia Law. That charge can escalate to a Class D felony if the flight puts others at risk.

The stolen property charge also carries significant exposure depending on the vehicle's value. Per Justia Law's summary of Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-14-105, receiving or possessing stolen property is a Class E felony when the property is worth between $1,000 and $2,500, but jumps to a Class D felony punishable by up to 12 years in prison if the value falls between $2,500 and $10,000. The dossier does not specify which threshold applies here, so the exact felony classification tied to the stolen vehicle's value remains unclear.

Drug Charge Carries Its Own Penalties

The Schedule II drug charge Poole faces also comes with steep statutory penalties. Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-17-417, manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a Schedule II controlled substance with intent is a Class C felony, punishable by three to 15 years in prison and fines up to $100,000 for amounts under half a gram, according to FindLaw. Which specific substance was involved has not been disclosed.

Separately, the reckless driving charge falls under Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-10-205, a Class B misdemeanor defined as operating a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, carrying up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

Poole's case now stretches across two states. In Virginia, he still faces extradition and probation revocation proceedings tied to his Scott County warrants, while in Tennessee, he's due to answer to the eight-count criminal complaint filed by Sullivan County authorities. It's the kind of cross-jurisdictional entanglement that isn't unfamiliar to law enforcement in this corner of the state; last September, a Kingsport pursuit spanned state lines as well, drawing in federal marshals and state troopers.