A pursuit of a truck stolen in Waynesboro initiated late Thursday night continued all the way to Interstate 81 in Staunton, and ended with cops chasing several juveniles and a 20-year-old into a wooded area behind Western State Hospital and the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents in the wee hours of Friday morning.
In total, per a report from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, seven individuals were detained, only one, the 20-year-old, Gerson A. Rodriguez Rodriguez, of Waynesboro, who could be identified.
The other six are underage.
The pursuit began in Waynesboro, with the truck failing to stop for a traffic signal.
County sheriff’s deputies encountered the suspect vehicle in the 700 block of Jefferson Highway, which is U.S. 250.
A deputy observed the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and entered radar at 95 mph in a posted 45 mph zone.
When the deputy attempted a traffic stop, the driver accelerated and continued to flee at an even higher rate of speed, per the ACSO report.
The pursuit continued onto Interstate 81 northbound. During the pursuit, the suspect exited the interstate and later re-entered traveling southbound.
Virginia State Police deployed tire deflation devices near the 225-mile marker, but despite sustaining damage, the suspect vehicle continued to flee until the driver’s side tire separated from the vehicle near Exit 222, causing the vehicle to come to a stop.
Upon stopping, the seven occupants exited the vehicle and fled on foot down an embankment into a wooded area behind Western State Hospital and the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents.
Law enforcement established a perimeter and conducted a search of the area and eventually rounded everybody up.
Emergency medical personnel evaluated the suspects involved in the incident. No injuries were reported, and none of the individuals required medical treatment.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 245-5333.
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Chris Graham
