ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, September 28, 1996 TAG: 9609300124
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RINER
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITER
A 100-mph chase early Friday in Montgomery County ended with one arrest and no injuries, but left one sheriff's deputy stuck in a creek, a state trooper's cruiser rammed and a fugitive's pickup truck wrecked on a logging road.
Two state troopers used a Rottweiler to search woods near Sugar Grove and arrest the suspect after the truck wreck.
Christopher Thomas Hutcheson, 20, of Java in Pittsylvania County, told police he ran from them because he didn't want to go to jail, said state police Sgt. V.C. Jones.
Hutcheson was wanted in Pittsylvania County on four felonies - two counts each of forgery and uttering. He also is charged there with a misdemeanor theft count, Jones said. If found guilty, Hutcheson faces up to 10 years in prison.
But Hutcheson increased the possible prison sentences he faces by running. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and state police charged Hutcheson with reckless driving, hit and run, destruction of state property and attempted malicious wounding of a police officer. The latter two are felonies with a maximum combined sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
The high-speed chase that spanned about 15 miles of county roads began in Radford, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Doug Marrs.
Marrs said his deputies were fully within their rights to chase Hutcheson at the speeds they did.
"At the rate he was going and the way this guy was driving, we pursued him," Marrs said.
Given the early hour and the day, the roads were nearly clear of other vehicles, Marrs said. The choices made would have been different in daylight with more people on the roads.
Marrs said his office got a call from Radford police about 1:15 a.m. saying their officer was chasing Hutcheson south on Tyler Avenue toward Montgomery County.
Radford Deputy Chief Jonny Butler said an officer attempted to stop Hutcheson to serve the bad-check warrants. That's when Hutcheson raced off in his pickup, Butler said.
Hutcheson crossed the interstate and two deputies picked up the pursuit after spotting him on Childress Road, Marrs said.
Deputies followed Hutcheson as he turned onto Virginia 8 (Riner Road). At that point, Marrs said, deputies estimated Hutcheson's speed at 110 mph.
Hutcheson turned his 1995 Chevrolet pickup right onto Smith Creek Road. From there, he raced onto Elliott Creek Road, which fords Elliott Creek several times. Marrs said Deputy M.M. Wilburn ended his pursuit when his car stalled while crossing the creek.
State Trooper Joe Diamond, who had joined the chase earlier, passed Wilburn's car and raced after Hutcheson. Deputy John Yon of the Sheriff's Office also was still in pursuit, Marrs said.
Jones said the trooper and deputy were not sure which way Hutcheson had turned when they reached a fork in the Elliott Creek Road. Yon turned one way and Diamond the other.
As it turned out, Hutcheson had turned up Craig Mountain Road, drove a distance and then made a U-turn and headed back toward Diamond.
Diamond was nearly across a low-water, one-lane bridge when Hutcheson's truck rounded a curve and hit the driver's side of his car. Hutcheson's truck bounced off the police car, into the bridge's guardrail and then back into the trooper's car. The collision caused about $3,500 in damage to the trooper's car, but failed to stop Hutcheson.
Hutcheson sped past the trooper on Bow Hill Road, which dead ends.
The dead end did not stop Hutcheson, who drove onto a logging road.
Jones said the logging road tore up the underside of Hutcheson's truck and the suspect was forced to abandon the pickup.
That was when state police called in a trooper and his tracking dog, Czar. They waited until a tactical team member could come to the scene. The trio took about 15 minutes to find Hutcheson "who surrendered without further incident" at 3:51 a.m., Jones said.
Hutcheson is being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, Marrs said.
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by staff: It all began in Radford. Map by staff.by CNBcolor. KEYWORDS: MGR