Fleeing man hits police cruiser during 4-county pursuit that came into downtown Lexington
A Georgetown police officer suffered minor injuries after a suspect fleeing police intentionally hit the officer’s cruiser during a pursuit through four counties early Friday.
The pursuit began in Scott County and continued into Lexington, where the suspect hit the cruiser before going into Woodford County. The chase ended in Franklin County at about 4 a.m., Georgetown police Capt. Josh Nash said.
The incident began when a Flock camera alerted Georgetown police to a vehicle with a stolen license plate.
At about 2 a.m, Nash said they found the vehicle sitting in the middle of Towson Way, still running, but the driver wasn’t in it. During a moment when the vehicle was unattended, Nash said “the driver ran back to the vehicle, jumped in it and took off.”
The driver was later identified as Whitney Pate, 39, of Lexington.
Nash said Georgetown police pursued the speeding vehicle down Interstate 75 southbound into Lexington, where speeds did not top 35 miles per hour.
He said officers continued to follow because they believed the driver was intoxicated.
“The driver was driving all over the roadway very erratic,” he said. “The driver never could maintain a lane.”
When Pate turned onto Jefferson Street and reached a dead end, Nash said he turned the vehicle around and intentionally hit a Georgetown police cruiser as he exited the area. The officer who was injured in the collision is going to be fine, Nash said.
Pate then continued out Leestown Road and into Frankfort, where the Frankfort Police Department deployed spike strips that stopped the vehicle, Nash said. He said Pate got out and ran but soon got into a situation where he had nowhere to go and himself up to police.
Pate was being held in the Scott County Detention Center Saturday on a number of charges, including first-degree wanton endangerment, first-degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, public intoxication, fleeing or evading police, speeding and reckless driving, according to the jail website.
Nash said police found power tools and computers in the vehicle, which leads them to believe that “he came from Lexington into Georgetown to commit thefts from our citizens.”
Pate is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, according to the jail website.
Fleeing man hits police cruiser during 4-county pursuit that came into downtown Lexington
