Columbus police, assisted by numerous other law enforcement agencies, arrested a Columbus woman early Sunday morning after a vehicle pursuit that began in Bartholomew County reaching speeds of more than 100 miles per hour ended in Jackson County.
CPD officers attempted to stop an Acura passenger car traveling with its headlights off near Fifth and Washington streets in downtown Columbus at 2:25 a.m. Sunday, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.
A short time later, the driver of the vehicle, Whitney K. Watkins, 33, of Columbus, began to accelerate the vehicle and disregarded several stop signs in the area, Harris said.
Watkins drove the wrong way for several blocks on 10th Street before crossing over to the correct side of the roadway near Schnier Street. The pursuit continued south on U.S. 31 out of the city limits at speeds over 100 miles per hour where officers were assisted by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Seymour Police Department, Harris said.
Watkins struck three separate sets of tire deflation devices on U.S. 31 before turning west on U.S. 50 where she lost control of the vehicle, struck a curb, and was taken into custody, Harris said.
Officers learned shortly before the pursuit concluded that the vehicle Watkins’ was driving was recently stolen in Columbus.
Watkins was transported to the Bartholomew County Jail where she was held on the following preliminary charges:
- Resisting law enforcement in a vehicle (Level 6 felony)
- Theft of a motor vehicle (Level 6 Felony)
- Reckless Driving (Class C Misdemeanor)
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
