A Pelham police officer tried to pull over a black Kia K5 near mile marker 242 on Interstate 65 on Friday, but instead of stopping, the driver hit speeds of 117 mph and kept going south, according to police. The chase continued south on I-65 before officers finally brought the car to a halt using tire spikes.
The driver, identified as Aryan Devonte Saye of Phenix City, refused to stop for the Pelham officer and continued southbound on I-65 after the attempted stop, according to the Pelham Police Department, as reported by WBMA. Officers deployed tire spikes near mile marker 213, bringing the Kia to a stop, the department said. Saye was then taken into custody.
The full pursuit covered roughly 29 miles on I-65, per a local report on the incident. That stretch of highway cuts through rolling stretches of central Alabama farmland and small-town exits, a reminder of just how far a single traffic stop can travel once a driver decides not to pull over.
Multiple Agencies Joined the Pursuit
The Pelham Police Department thanked Alabama Law Enforcement Agency state troopers along with officers from Calera, Jemison, Chilton County and Clanton for assisting with the pursuit. Coordinating a chase across that many jurisdictions in a single stretch of interstate requires fast communication between agencies that don't typically work calls together.
Saye's hometown adds another detail to the story. Phenix City, in Russell County along the Georgia border, is Saye's hometown. It's unclear what brought him to that part of the state.
How Spike Strips Stopped the Chase
The tool that ended the pursuit was tire deflation spike strips.
Deploying those strips is not without risk to officers themselves.
Charges Carry Steep Potential Penalties
Police charged Saye with felony attempted eluding, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana. Under Alabama Code § 13A-10-52, amended by Act 2023-489, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer while exceeding the legal maximum speed limit by more than 20 miles per hour is classified as a Class B felony, according to FindLaw.
A Class B felony conviction in Alabama carries a mandatory prison term of 2 to 20 years and fines up to $30,000 under state sentencing statutes, per FindLaw's breakdown of the law. The other charges were unlawful possession of a controlled substance and second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana.
Alabama law also mandates that courts order a driver's license suspension of six months to two years upon any eluding conviction, regardless of whether the case proceeds as a felony or misdemeanor. It remains to be seen how prosecutors will pursue the case or which specific felony enhancements will apply as it moves through court.
