Cops throw spike strips and brings stolen vehicle to a crashing halt in Louisa
By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor
One man was flown to a Huntington, WV hospital after crashing a stolen vehicle on South KY 3 near the Point Section around 8:45 p.m., Monday, Sept. 9.
John Franklin Pauley suffered injuries when spike strips were deployed by both Louisa Police Department and Lawrence County Sheriff Department near the intersection of 645 and KY 3 causing all four tires to flatten and landing the stolen vehicle in a culvert just over a mile closer to Louisa.
A “be on the lookout” (BOLO) call was placed to several agencies around 1 p.m. yesterday that Pauley had stolen a gray Chevrolet Traverse from Boone County, WV and was armed with a .32 caliber handgun. It was reported he was heading to Lawrence County to harm his ex-girlfriend, who has an emergency protective order against him from prior incidents.
According to Martin County Chief Deputy, C. Kidd from the MC Sheriff’s Department at approximately 7 p.m. they received a call of a possible intoxicated person walking around the area of the Calf Creek Church. While responding to that call, additional calls indicated that the male subject left the area in a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle that had been reported stolen earlier in the day and was seen at the Zip Zone in Black Log.
Deputies located the vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop after observing expired tags and reckless driving.
According to the report by MC Chief Deputy Kidd, Pauley, with “total disregard for human life” continued operating in a manner exceeding speeds of over 80 mph into Lawrence County.
After crossing over the county line in to Lawrence, Pauley was able to drive another 14 miles getting close to the intersection of KY 3 and 645.
“Louisa Police Patrolman Steven Wilburn deployed a spike strip near the intersection which blew one tire and after that I threw out another at the intersection and blew the other three trying and stop him before he made it in to Louisa or over into West Virginia,” said Deputy Mason Keefer.
According to a Louisa PD report, Pauley swerved at a Louisa police car to avoid being boxed in. The officer backed off for safety and Pauley drove into the opposite lane of traffic going around the sheriff’s cruiser in front of him. In doing so Pauley went off the edge of the road into a ditch and was unable to regain control and struck a concrete culvert at around 25 mph disabling the vehicle.
Pauley was not wearing a seatbelt and sustained several injuries during the impact. Patriot Ambulance service and the Louisa Fire Department were called to the scene as officers assessed Pauley and rendered aid to him removing him from the area of the vehicle that was smoking. No injuries were sustained to any law enforcement officers other than numerous yellow jacket stings due to the vehicle apparently going through a nest. Due to the injuries sustained in the crash Pauley, was flown to a trauma center in Huntington.
Pauley faces pending charges in Lawrence and Martin County related to, fleeing and evading police in a motor vehicle 1st degree, reckless driving, speeding, no operator’s license, improper registration, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, failure to wear seatbelt, wanton endangerment. Pauley also had active warrants for Wanton Endangerment 2nd, Criminal Trespassing 3rd, Criminal Mischief 2nd, Harassment and Burglary 2nd
Louisa Patrolman Wilburn and LC Deputy Keefer were also assisted by Louisa Patrolman Michael Housinger and LC Deputy Joseph Osborne. Both counties will also be seeking indictments for Pauley.