A North Vernon man was arrested on multiple charges after leading Columbus police on a chase into the county.
Jesse L. Crouch, 20, 38 W. Walnut St., North Vernon, was arrested on charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, operating a vehicle without a license and illegal consumption/possession of alcohol after the chase at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.
Columbus police officer Tony Kummer saw a 2015 Jeep Patriot traveling on Center Street without headlights and attempted to stop it, Harris said. Crouch refused to pull over and the pursuit continued south out of Columbus, where the Jeep hit a tire-deflation device at U.S. 31 and County Road 600S set by Elizabethtown deputy marshal Fred Neff, Harris said.
Crouch continued driving on deflated tires until officers were able to box him in with their vehicles, ending the pursuit on county roads 450E and 700S, Harris said. Speeds of about 100 mph were reached in the chase in the county before the vehicle was stopped, Harris said.
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Officers determined Crouch did not have a driver’s license and located several alcoholic beverages inside the vehicle, in addition to a small dog that did not belong to him, Harris said.
When the owners could not be contacted, the dog was turned over to Animal Care Services, Harris said.
Crouch is being held in the Bartholomew County Jail in lieu of $12,500 bond.
