High-speed chase ends in crash; two arrested

Two Williamsburg residents have been charged with fleeing from police following a chase with a Whitley County Sheriff’s deputy early Monday morning.

Sheriff’s Cpl. Ken Shepherd charged Stanton Colby Fritts, 25, of 185 Pleasant View Lane, with first-degree fleeing or evading police, and his passenger, Zachery Shane Hopkins, 20, of 149 Balltown Road, with second-degree fleeing or evading police.
Shepherd arrested the duo about 1:46 a.m. Monday near the intersection of US25W and Pleasant View Lane, which is located about five miles south of Williamsburg.

Shepherd received a report about a reckless driver on Pleasant View Lane, and when he arrived at the scene spotted a 1995 red Ford Mustang matching the vehicles description, he wrote on an arrest citation.

He tried to initiate a traffic stop in the parking lot of Pleasant View School, but when he turned on his blue lights the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed down Stringtown Road and onto US25W, according to the citation.

Shepherd pursued the vehicle for one mile and it reached speeds of 90 mph before the driver lost control and struck a tree on the left side of the highway.

Fritts and Hopkins exited the vehicle and fled on foot, according to arrest citations.

Shepherd arrested Hopkins in a nearby creek without incident. Shepherd later arrested Fritts without incident when he returned to the scene.

Both men pleaded not guilty during their arraignments Monday in Whitley District Court.

District Judge Cathy Prewitt scheduled an Oct. 31 preliminary hearing for Fritts, who is charged with a felony, and an Oct. 31 pre-trial conference for Hopkins, who is charged with a misdemeanor offense.

Both men were released from the Whitley County Detention Center on surety bonds that require them to wear ankle-monitoring bracelets and undergo random drug screening.