Published: May 15, 2008 05:32 pm            

Drunk driver stopped by K-9 after foot chase

Driver parks at own house

An alleged intoxicated driver speeding 90 mph north on U.S. 421 lead police on a car and foot chase before stopping at his own home.

Zionsville Police Officer Adrian Martin was at Pearson Ford on U.S. 421 at about 3 a.m. Sunday, May 11, when he saw a vehicle speeding 90 mph north on U.S. 421. Martin turned on his police lights, but the vehicle did not stop, Zionsville Town Marshal Rick Dowden said. Martin pursued the vehicle driven by Jacob Vlha of Zionsville as it turned west onto State Road 334, then north on Main Street and again west on S.R. 334. The vehicle turned onto Sixth Street and pulled into the driveway of Vlha’s home on the 200 block of North Sixth Street.

He then fled the scene on foot and ran into the woods behind Eagle Elementary. Officers set up a perimeter and the K-9 units tracked the suspect back to his garage on the 200 block of Sixth Street. A Carmel Police K-9 Unit, who was also at Pearson Ford, had previously joined into the vehicle chase and assisted with the K-9 search.

The suspect fled the garage on foot, but ran into another K-9 unit on, which was coming back from Eagle Elementary. The officer asked the suspect to stop five times before releasing the dog, Dowden said. The dog bit the suspect and stopped him, allowing officers to apprehend him at about 4:30 a.m.

He was taken to Witham Hospital and received stitches for his wounds. The suspect also tested for more than twice the legal blood alcohol limit, Dowden said.

He was taken to the Boone County Jail, and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless driving, criminal recklessness and resisting law enforcement.

        

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