SCOTT CO. — A Michigan driver was apprehended early Wednesday morning after leading police on a brief high-speed chase on Interstate 65 southbound. The incident unfolded around 4 a.m. when Indiana State Police received reports of a dark-colored passenger vehicle speeding without its headlights or taillights near the 45-mile marker south of Seymour.
Sergeant Tracy Spencer from the Indiana State Police Post in Sellersburg responded to the call and quickly spotted the vehicle, a blue 2015 Ford Focus, traveling at an alarming speed. Sergeant Spencer clocked the car at 118 mph as it approached the 35-mile marker, with only its emergency flashers activated while it occupied the left lane.
When Sergeant Spencer attempted to initiate a stop, the driver, later identified as 55-year-old Joseph Lee Strain of Hudsonville, Michigan, refused to slow down. Eyewitness accounts indicated Strain passed other vehicles and even maneuvered into the emergency lane to overtake two semi-trucks.
As the chase continued, Strain turned off the vehicle’s emergency flashers and continued driving without any lights. Eventually, as the vehicle neared the 32-mile marker, the lights were turned back on, and Strain gradually pulled over to the side of the roadway before stopping.
Strain was taken into custody and transported to the Scott County Jail without further incident. He faces multiple charges, including:
- Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle – Level 6 Felony
- Reckless Driving – Class A Misdemeanor
- Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Class C Misdemeanor
- Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class A Misdemeanor
Sergeant Spencer was assisted in the arrest by officers from the Scott County Sheriff’s Department and the Scottsburg City Police Department.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
