By Ashley Davidson, WBKO TV-News -Bowling Green, Ky.
A man who led state police on a chase this morning is now behind bars. the pursuit began in Nashville and ended in Simpson County, forcing the interstate to be shut down for a while.
Law enforcement agencies on land and in the sky take part in a morning pursuit.
Herman Hall, a Kentucky State Police trooper, says, “The U.S. Marshall’s fugitive unit got in pursuit of a wanted person from out on Tennessee.”
Kentucky State Police got word of the pursuit through the Tennessee Highway Patrol. they were told the chase was heading northbound on Interstate 65. Tennessee Highway Patrol laid spike strips on the Tennessee side of the border, but the chase continued, leading officials all the way to Kentucky where the chase eventually ended.”
Police say Robert Charles Johnson continued to drive even with two flat tires. He exited I-65 at the Whit House, Tennessee exit and continued north on 31-W into Kentucky.
Crys Ivory, a witness, says, “This morning I saw about13 cars (that’s what I counted) chasing a big maroon Dodge truck.”
Tennessee Highway Patrol also says shots were fired during the pursuit but did not say whether the shots came from or were directed at Johnson. It was something workers at this Franklin gas station were unaccustomed to.
Ivory says, “All out business stopped for a minute. All of the customers, workers, and everybody were looking out the window. About two or three hours after that, that’s still all you were hearing about.”
After passing the gas station Johnson then re-entered Interstate 65 at Exit 2 in Simpson County. Troopers then attempted to stop Johnson by forcing him off the road.
Hall says, “The vehicle struck one of our troopers vehicles and subsequently wrecked after that.”
Johnson was taken to the Medical Center at Franklin with minor injuries. Kentucky State Police say he will face charges in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Hall says, “He’s gonna be looking at several charges of wanton endangerment due to the pursuit and initiating the contact with the troopers car.”
Johnson will be lodged in the Simpson County jail until he’s extradited back to Tennessee. Kentucky State Police tell us he was also driving a stolen truck.