Chase Ends in Elgin Crash
PAUL ROY -- Independent Herald Editor
ELGIN Ñ A Kentucky man has been jailed following a high speed police pursuit through three counties that ended in a violent crash on U.S. 27 just south of here Saturday morning, according to the Oneida Police Department.
Newby reportedly sped through Pulaski County, Ky. (where the initial pursuit began), into and through McCreary County, and made it through most of Scott County before losing control of his vehicle, veering off the right side of the highway, clipping a tree and overturning down a steep embankment, with the vehicle coming to rest on its top.
Officers from at least four separate jurisdictions were involved in the pursuit of Newby at one time or another Saturday morning, according to Officer Alan Reed of the Oneida Police Department, who was among those involved in the pursuit through Scott County and who witnessed the crash.
Kentucky authorities, who followed NewbyÕs vehicle across the state line at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, dropped off of the pursuit in Oneida.
A uniformed part-time SheriffÕs Deputy, Jerry Pike, was en route to work and stopped for a traffic light at the intersection of U.S. 27 and Third Avenue in Oneida when NewbyÕs vehicle sped through first one red light and then another as he made his way south around 7:22 a.m., with police cruisers in pursuit.
Pursuing officers reported that Newby Òwas all over the roadÓ and forcing early-morning motorists off the road as well as he made his way through Scott County, where visibility was severely limited in some sections due to fog.
Earlier police reports indicated that the driver had been Òthrowing plastic bags outÓ of his vehicle as sped south on U.S. 27 through McCreary County.
After Kentucky officers gave up the pursuit, Oneida officers picked up the chase and were ultimately joined by two units from the Scott County SheriffÕs Department, which followed the speeding vehicle from Huntsville southward. Among the county deputies involved in the pursuit and/or the investigation following the crash were Bill Miller, Rob Reed, Darren Zachary and Troy Hull.
Newby, who was transported by Scott County EMS to the hospital in Oneida, was treated and released into the custody of local officers. He was held over the weekend at the Oneida City Jail, and arraigned in Sessions Court Monday for felonious reckless endangerment, reckless driving, failure to yield to blue lights, passing on a double yellow line, failure to obey traffic signals and speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.
Upon being taken into custody and throughout his treatment at the hospital, Newby, clad in shots, T-shirt and socks, was obviously delusional and talked unceasingly. Shortly after being removed from the wreckage of his vehicle, Newby told officers he was on his way to Mexico Òto meet Jesus.Ó
He also informed Oneida and Scott County authorities at the scene of the crash that he was from Ratcliff, Ky., and suggested they should contact them because Òthey know my whole history up there.Ó Ratcliff, it should be noted, is in northern Kentucky, near Fort Knox.
At one point Newby asked officers at the crash site about the condition of his car, which he said he assumed Òwas pretty busted up.Ó
When asked what he was throwing out of the car in Kentucky, he told officers he was just cleaning up the car because it was Òpretty messy.Ó
A business card found in the wreckage of NewbyÕs car identified him as an Òat-largeÓ minister in Ratcliff, Ky., according to a SheriffÕs deputy at the scene of the crash.
Oneida Police Chief Mike Cross said that a Ratcliff, Ky. Police Department informed him Saturday that Newby had threatened people at a school, had vandalized churches and threatened law enforcement officers on Friday. However, Kentucky officers who had pursued Newby for more than 50 miles reportedly informed local authorities that they had no charges against him except fleeing, and did not request that he be extradited on that charge.
Trooper David Garrison, on patrol in neighboring Campbell County, was called in to investigate the accident.
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