Police chase ends with head-on crash in western Henry County
MIDDLETOWN, Ind. — A Thursday afternoon police chase ended with a head-on collision involving an Indiana State Police vehicle near Middletown.
About 2:40 p.m., an ISP master trooper observed a Ford Mustang traveling northbound on Ind. 109 at 88 mph in a 55 mph zone.
The trooper's bid to pull the car over failed, as the Mustang's driver — later identified as Dustin Scott Powell, 34, of Knightstown — refused to stop and instead turned east on U.S. 36 toward Middletown.
A trooper set up stop sticks on the federal highway in a bid to bring the pursuit to an end. However, Powell "made an abrupt U-turn," according to an ISP release, and began to travel westbound, crossing the center line and striking a police car driven by Sergeant Coley McCutcheon head-on near Mechanicsburg Road in western Henry County.
Both McCutcheon and Powell escaped life-threatening injuries.
Powell was examined at an area hospital before being taken to the Henry County jail in New Castle. On Friday, he was charged in Henry Circuit Court 3 with resisting law enforcement, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and criminal recklessness.
In the wake of the crash, U.S. 36 was closed near the scene.
In addition to state troopers, Henry County sheriff's deputies, Fortville and Chesterfield police and representatives of the Madison County Emergency Management Agency and Henry County EMS responded to the scene.
Powell — also listed in court records at a Greenfield address — has been convicted of crimes including domestic battery, driving while intoxicated, criminal mischief and possession of paraphernalia.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Police chase ends with head-on crash in western Henry County
