A motorcyclist was found dead after his motorcycle went off the east side of Sunland Road and struck a telephone pole guide wire.
Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputy Dane Duke found Xavier Maurice Scrogham, 18, Hope, at about 11:43 p.m. Monday after Duke came across a single tire track running off Sunland Road, deputies said.
Scrogham was traveling east on Sunland when he entered a 90-degree left turn, but instead went straight and off the east side of the roadway, deputies said. He was thrown from the motorcycle in a grassy area and his motorcycle continued into a soybean field where it overturned, deputies said. Scrogham was wearing a helmet when the accident happened.
Deputies said they believe Scrogham was being pursued by a Nashville Police reserve officer at about 11:36 p.m. when he was traveling southbound on U.S. 31 in the Taylorsville area at speeds in excess of 100 mph, deputies said. The off-duty Nashville officer was behind the motorcycle, which he said had no license plate, in the area of Lowell Road, when the motorcycle accelerated quickly, deputies said.
The Nashville officer then pursued the motorcycle by activating his emergency lights and asking for assistance. A short time later, officers were told the pursuit was northbound on County Road 650E when the Nashville officer lost sight of the vehicle and the chase ended, deputies said.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
