A New Jersey man is being held without bond at the Rockbridge Regional Jail following a police chase on Interstates 81 and 64 Friday evening.
Evan Anthony Goodwin, 27, was charged with one felony count of eluding police and one felony count of possession of a stolen vehicle, as well as a traffic violation for disregarding a stop signal and a fugitive warrant.
According to a press release from the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, at approximately 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22, a deputy with the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office notified the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office that he was preparing to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling southbound on Interstate 81 after receiving an alert from his Automatic License Plate Reader that indicated that the vehicle had been reported stolen in New Jersey.
Rockbridge County deputies responded to the Raphine area to assist with the stop, but when the traffic stop was initiated, the driver refused to stop, leading to a pursuit.
The chase continued down Interstate 81 and onto Interstate 64, where the vehicle exited at the Kerrs Creek exit and proceeded north on Fredericksburg Road. Approximately one mile from the exit, the driver jumped from the moving vehicle and fled on foot. Deputies apprehended the suspect soon after within approximately 100 yards of where he exited his vehicle.
The driver was identified and transported to Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital for evaluation. Upon his release from the hospital, Goodwin was taken into custody and charged.
“This incident highlights the value of strong partnerships between neighboring agencies,” Rockbridge County Sheriff Tony McFaddin said in the press release. “The quick coordination between Augusta County and our deputies led to a safe and efficient resolution, and we appreciate their teamwork and communication. Good communication, quick response, and strong teamwork brought this to a safe end.”
