A Roanoke man is in jail after he tried to flee from police Thursday during a high-speed pursuit that ended with a crash.
Tyler A. Jones, 32, was caught and charged with two counts of assault on law enforcement officer and felony eluding.
At about 9:50 a.m., officers were patrolling in the 400 block of Elm Avenue Southeast when they saw Jones in a parked vehicle, Roanoke police said.
Officers recognized Jones and knew that there were two active felony warrants for his arrest, one for revocation of a suspended sentence on a previous narcotics charge and one for felony eluding from Roanoke County.
Two marked patrol vehicles blocked exit routes for Jones’ vehicle in an attempt to keep Jones from fleeing, the police statement said.
But Jones rammed his car into both patrol cars and sped away. A pursuit ensued. Jones traveled “at a high rate of speed with little regard for traffic or other vehicles,” police said.
Officers chased Jones to Riverland Road Southeast near Garden City Boulevard, where Jones attempted to illegally pass another vehicle that was turning.
Jones then crashed into the turning vehicle and lost control of his own. His car ran off the road, rolled several times and came to rest on an embankment.
When Jones got out of his vehicle and tried run away, officers chased him, apprehended him and took him into custody.
Other officers found an “unresponsive” adult female passenger in Jones’ car. Roanoke Fire-EMS Department personnel took her to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment. Police gave no other information about her condition.
First responders also checked the driver of the vehicle that Jones hit. That person was not taken to the hospital.
No officers were injured, and all involved patrol vehicles remain functional, police said.
Jones was also taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Once released, he was taken to the Roanoke City Jail, where he was charged. The two active warrants against him were also served.
The car crash that resulted from the police chase is being investigated by Virginia State Police. Traffic was rerouted while Riverland Road was temporarily blocked by police after the incident.
