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Last updated on Sunday, September 23, 2018
(JASPER CO.) - A Martinsville man was jailed after he led police on a pursuit through Jasper County on Friday.
Indiana State Police arrested 38-year-old William Tumey after he failed to stop and barreled through a construction zone.
The driver, identified as William E. Tumey, 38, of Martinsville, Indiana, failed to stop for Indiana State Police Master Trooper Glen Fifield as he barreled through a construction zone.
According to an Indiana State Police report, at approximately 10:54 a.m., Indiana State Police Regional Dispatch Center received a call about a reckless 2017 Freightliner semi without a trailer southbound on I-65 at the Lowell exit nearly struck construction barrels in the construction zone.
Trooper Fifeld spotted the semi drive off the right side of the roadway onto the shoulder as it approached him. Fifield got behind the semi which was weaving and driving off the right side of the road on the rumble strips, then went back across the roadway.
Fifield activated his emergency lights and siren on his unmarked police car in an attempt to stop the semi. But the Freightliner continued to drive south without stopping for 11 miles at speeds of 62 to 65 miles-per-hour in a posted 70 miles-per-hour speed zone.
Trooper Fifield says the semi driver continued to drive off and then back on the roadway.
Trooper Kim Zelnis, who was driving a marked police car, was able to catch up with Fifield and was able to get in front of the semi with her lights and siren on. Zelnis at one point was waving out her driver's window to get the semi driver to comply and pull over which he ignored.
Zelnis sped ahead two miles and threw out stop sticks at the 205-mile marker which the semi driver deliberately avoided.
Master Trooper Martin Benner, who was off duty at this time, heard the pursuit and was able to set up stop sticks at the 203-mile marker.
The Freightliner struck the stop sticks with both its front tires. The semi continued southbound until the 198-mile marker in White County where the front left tire deflated and the semi came to a stop.
Troopers made a felony stop and were able to take the driver, Tumey, into custody without incident.
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