Louisiana man arrested after multi-county chase ends at Ballard County Paper Mill
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
CARLISLE COUNTY, Ky. (KBSI) — A Louisiana man was arrested Tuesday evening following a multi-county pursuit that began in Graves County and ended at a paper mill in Ballard County, authorities said.
The Carlisle County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified around 5:45 p.m. that the Graves County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police were pursuing a silver Chevrolet pickup truck towing a trailer carrying another vehicle. The pursuit was traveling north on KY 121 toward the Carlisle County line.
The driver turned south onto KY 339, traveled through Fancy Farm, then onto KY 80 before entering Carlisle County. Authorities said the driver continued through multiple state highways and county roads. Deputies deployed stop sticks several times, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
The pursuit entered the Bardwell city limits and continued north on U.S. Highway 51 into Ballard County, where deputies there also deployed stop sticks without success.
Officials said the driver traveled in the wrong lane of traffic and intentionally swerved, causing the trailer to fishtail.
The chase ended at the Phoenix Paper Mill in Ballard County, where the truck crashed through a chain-link fence and became entangled in fencing and electrical wires, narrowly missing an employee operating a side-by-side utility vehicle. Authorities said the driver attempted to free the truck by repeatedly backing up and driving forward before deputies from multiple agencies removed him from the vehicle.
The driver, identified as 38-year-old Jaason Fowler of Pollock, Louisiana, and two additional occupants from Louisiana were arrested without further incident.
Investigators determined the pickup truck had been reported stolen out of Louisiana and was displaying a stolen license plate from another vehicle. The trailer was reported stolen out of Indiana. Authorities also located two additional stolen Louisiana license plates inside the vehicle.
During the pursuit, items were thrown from the vehicle. Some of those items were recovered and field-tested positive for methamphetamine, officials said.
No civilians or law enforcement officers were injured during the pursuit. Authorities said Fowler caused significant property damage at the Phoenix Paper Mill.
Fowler faces multiple felony charges in Graves, Carlisle and Ballard counties. He was transported back to Graves County, where he was treated at a local hospital before being lodged in the Graves County Jail.
