Vehicle pursuit reaching 100 mph on U.S. 52 ended in a crash and five charges

By John Estridge

A police chase that reached 100 mph on U.S. 52 just east of Brookville resulted in a property damage accident and five charges levied against a Colorado man.

Martin C. Crawley, 22, Monte Vista, Colorado was charged with Resisting Arrest, as a Level 6 Felony, as well as four misdemeanors – two class A and two class B — after being apprehended in a field belonging to White’s Sale Barn.

According to a Probable Cause Affidavit penned by Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Tyler Ford, around 11 p.m., Saturday, June 5, Ford was in his police cruiser heading eastbound on Fourth Street in Brookville.

He was going to turn left or north on Mill Street. As he was making the turn, he observed a Red Blazer approach the same intersection, blow through the stop sign and proceed south onto Weber’s Lane. Ford turned his cruiser around to follow the Blazer.

While approaching the intersection of Weber’s Lane and High Street, Franklin County Communications Center issued a dispatch that a red Blazer had just left the scene of an accident in the Sixth Street area of Brookville. Ford advised dispatch he believed the Blazer in question was in front of him.

As Ford came up to the High Street/U.S. 52 intersection, he observed the Blazer was traveling at a high rate of speed weaving between lanes to get around vehicles. At that point, Ford activated his lights and siren and went in pursuit east on U.S. 52. As the Blazer approached the hillcrest east of U.S. 52’s intersection with Blue Creek Road, the Blazer began to weave in and out of traffic going around 100 mph.

In the area of Orschell’s Curve on U.S. 52, Ford said the Blazer had sparks coming from beneath the vehicle, and it began fishtailing up the hill. The Blazer also “…moved into the westbound lane and almost struck a passenger car head on before swerving back into the eastbound lane,” Ford wrote in the affidavit.

“In the curves going up the hill, the vehicle proceeded into the westbound lane and continued to stay in that lane in total disregard for any vehicle that may be coming around the curve,” Ford continued in his affidavit.

When the Blazer got to the intersection of U.S. 52 and Holland Road, Ford said the Blazer attempted to make the turn onto Holland Road, but the driver began to lose control of the vehicle. The Blazer fishtailed several times before going through a wooden cattle fence owned by White’s Sale Barn. Spinning several times, the Blazer crashed through the other side of fence coming to rest facing west in the middle of the field.

Ford got out of his vehicle and approached the Blazer on foot with his weapon drawn. He said he could see the driver inside the vehicle frantically trying to get the Blazer moving again. However, the driver apparently realized at some point, the Blazer was inoperable.

Ford ordered the driver out of the Blazer. The driver was unable to exit through the door because of the damage to the vehicle and asked if he could climb out the window. To that, Ford acquiesced. Once outside the vehicle, Ford had the driver lay flat on the hood of the Blazer. The driver told Ford his operator’s license was in his billfold. When Ford retrieved the billfold, he found the driver was Crawley.

After searching Crawley, Ford put Crawley in the rear of Ford’s vehicle and went with FCSD Deputy Kyle Hartman to search the Crawley vehicle. According to the affidavit, they found an open alcohol container and a green and orange marijuana pipe.

EMS arrived on the scene and checked out Crawley. They surmised Crawley did not have any injuries other than bruises. Ford then transported Crawley to the Franklin County Security Center. While Ford went inside the FCSC to seek a search warrant for Crawley’s blood to determine if he was impaired by alcohol and/or drugs, a jailer came out and watched Crawley.

Ford called Franklin Circuit Court II Judge Clay Kellerman. After telling Kellerman the facts of the case, Kellerman authorized a warrant. Ford then drove Crawley to Margaret Mary Hospital in Batesville. En route, Crawley told Ford he had been using crystal, which means methamphetamine. Crawley said he last used it three to four days ago. He had not been able to sleep for several days and was depressed.

At the hospital, a lab technician took a blood sample from Crawley. Then, a video conference was set up for Crawley to talk with a mental health specialist from Lawrenceburg.

After those things, Crawley was transported back to the FCSC. He was eventually charged by Franklin County Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp with Resisting Law Enforcement, as a Level 6 Felony; Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated Endangering a Person, as a class A misdemeanor; Criminal Mischief, as a class A misdemeanor; Leaving the Scene of an Accident, as a class B misdemeanor; and Reckless Driving, as a class B misdemeanor.

If convicted of a Level 6 Felony, Crawley could receive six months to two-and-a-half years in the FCSC. A class A misdemeanor conviction can result in a sentence of up to one year while a class B misdemeanor conviction is up to 180 days in the FCSC.