A Rutherford County man being treated for a possible fentanyl reaction allegedly slipped away from paramedics, jumped into a Tennessee Highway Patrol cruiser, and led deputies on a chase that ended when the stolen patrol vehicle overturned on Interstate 24 West. The bizarre sequence began Saturday along Interstate 840 in Blackman and ended near Smyrna with the suspect in custody and facing a stack of felony charges.
According to WSMV, Rutherford County Sheriff's deputies and Rutherford County EMS personnel responded to a medical call at mile marker 53 of I-840 on Saturday, where Rutherford County EMS treated 35-year-old Jordan Blandford. THP troopers also responded to the same medical call in Blackman, per the station's report. At some point during the encounter, Blandford escaped from EMS personnel, according to THP.
From there, the situation escalated quickly. Blandford allegedly commandeered a Tennessee Highway Patrol patrol vehicle and led deputies in a pursuit onto I-24 West, per THP. The chase carried the stolen cruiser across the Rutherford County corridor before it came apart near mile marker 69.
Cruiser Overturns Near Mile Marker 69
Per THP, Blandford lost control of the THP patrol vehicle near mile marker 69 on I-24 West, and the vehicle overturned. The stolen cruiser ultimately came to rest on the shoulder on the opposite side of the interstate on I-24 East, according to the THP report cited by the same outlet. Blandford was reportedly not injured in the crash, the report notes.
He was nonetheless transported to a hospital as a precaution before his arrest near Smyrna following the pursuit crash. The THP report attributes his initial medical episode to a possible fentanyl reaction, though that cause has not been independently confirmed beyond the agency's own account.
Felony Charges Stack Up
Blandford now faces multiple charges in Tennessee, including felony evading arrest, vehicle theft, resisting arrest, and driving under the influence. Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-16-603, intentionally evading arrest in a motor vehicle is classified as a Class E felony, or a higher felony grade if the flight creates a risk of death or serious injury to bystanders or officers, according to Cate Law.
The vehicle theft charge also carries significant weight given what was allegedly stolen. Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-14-105, theft of property valued between $10,000 and $60,000 — a range that includes standard state patrol cruisers — is a Class C felony punishable by three to 15 years in prison, per Mumford Law. Separately, Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-10-401 sets mandatory minimum penalties for a first DUI offense involving alcohol or controlled substances, including at least 48 hours in jail, fines up to $1,500, and a one-year license revocation, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
A Rare but Not Unprecedented Theft
Commandeering a law enforcement vehicle in Middle Tennessee is relatively rare, though it isn't unheard of — an August 2017 incident saw a suspect fight a Montgomery County deputy during a traffic stop before stealing the patrol car and fleeing on state highways. The Tennessee Highway Patrol, founded in 1929, operates under the state safety department with more than 1,000 authorized sworn troopers covering over 42,000 square miles of state highways, and the department's Criminal Investigation Division is generally responsible for investigating vehicle thefts and property damage involving state patrol fleet equipment.
The I-840 and I-24 interchange in Rutherford County forms a critical outer loop around Metro Nashville and a major freight corridor linking Atlanta to St. Louis, meaning any pursuit along that stretch carries risk for dense commuter and truck traffic. It's also not the first time a THP pursuit on I-24 has ended badly this year: a fatal I-24 pursuit crash in March 2026 near the Antioch Pike exit killed two people and shut down all westbound lanes for nearly eight hours.
Rutherford County, home to more than 340,000 residents and Tennessee's fifth-most populous county, sees its sheriff's office regularly coordinating emergency medical and traffic responses across a fast-growing region. It remains unclear how Blandford was able to escape EMS care and gain access to an active patrol vehicle, a question that may draw further scrutiny as the investigation continues.
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