Jackson County - At approximately 8:17 a.m., Master Trooper Kevin Riordan, while driving a department issued unmarked Ford Mustang, initiated the traffic stop on a south-bound speeding silver Ford Taurus near the 57 mile marker on I-65. The vehicle refused to stop, and allegedly sped up to over 100 miles per hour. It was reported the suspect attempted to drive into pursuing officers patrol cars. Trooper Raymond Hunt, in a fully marked police car, took over as the lead vehicle in the pursuit, as it headed south from the 51 mile marker.
Tire deflation devices were deployed by local police officers as the pursuit neared exits 34, 29 and 19, along I-65. At exit 34, the suspect's vehicle stuck the device, but did not show any signs of a deflating tire. At exit 29, the driver avoided the device by driving into the median. Near the 20 mile marker, the suspect was still traveling at nearly 90 miles per hour, when the tread separated from the right front tire. At exit 19, the driver again drove into the median, avoiding a deployed tire deflation device. This time, the driver was unable to get back onto the southbound lanes of I-65, due to a cable barrier in the area. The suspect continued south in the northbound lanes, until he drove the wrong way up the exit ramp to get onto State Road 160.
On State Road 160, he headed east at a slower rate of speed, and as he crossed US-31, the tire completely deflated and eventually came off the rim. This slowed the pursuit even more, but the suspect continued traveling east until he failed to negotiate a curve, south of Jack Teeple Road, in Clark County. The driver negotiated his way back onto the road, behind Trooper Anthony Brishaber's patrol car where he rammed into the back of it. Trooper Brishaber was able apply his brakes and bring the pursuit to an end.
The suspect displayed a knife and refused to exit the vehicle as officers approached it. Trooper Hunt was able to safely disarm the suspect and with the assistance of other officers he was taken into custody. There was a minor amount of damage to Trooper Brishaber's rear bumper and an extensive amount of damage done to the suspect's vehicle.
The driver, Terry Mahler, 24, was taken into custody and charged with criminal recklessness, driving while suspended, possession of stolen property, resisting law enforcement, possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving and battery on a police officer. The vehicle's owner, in Warsaw Indiana, was in the process of reporting the vehicle stolen as officers pursued the vehicle.
Mahler had two warrants out of Lagrange and Noble County for Larceny and fraud/check deception respectively.
Assisting agencies included: Crothersville Police Department, Austin Police Department, Scottsburg Police Department, Scott County Sheriffs Department and Charleston Police Department.
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