Vehicle Pursuit Leads to Arrest of North Vernon Man

The pursuit took place in Jennings and Ripley counties on Thursday afternoon.

Michael Vance. Photo by the Jennings County Sheriff's Office. 

(Jennings County, Ind.) - A North Vernon man was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon after a police pursuit through two southeastern Indiana counties. 

It was around 2:42 p.m. when deputies with the Jennings County Sheriff's Office initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Michael Vance. According to a news release, deputies witnessed multiple traffic infractions and were able to positively ID the driver as Vance, who had felony warrants through Jennings County and Dearborn County. 

Vance initially pulled to the side of U.S. 50 near Nebraska before fleeing. He allegedly traveled at speeds up to 90 MPH toward Holton. Multiple law enforcement agencies were called to assist with the pursuit. Vance avoided a set of stop sticks and drove through a cornfield and onto a county road in Ripley County. The pursuit continued onto State Road 421 toward Versailles. 

During the pursuit, Jennings County Central Dispatcher Sandra Beam was in contact with Mr. Vance and his wife on the phone. Dispatchers talked to Mr. Vance and told him to surrender. He eventually came to a stop on the Ripley County and Jefferson County line where Deputies and Troopers took him into custody without incident.

Deputies went back through the path of the pursuit and located numerous illegal items along the roadway that they witnessed Mr. Vance throw out of his vehicle.

Vance is charged with Warrant for Unlawful Possession of a Syringe through Jennings County (Level 6 Felony), Resisting Law Enforcement via Vehicle (Level 6 Felony), Unlawful Possession of a Syringe (Level 6 Felony), Possession of a Narcotic Drug (Level 6 Felony), Possession of Paraphernalia (Class C Misdemeanor), Reckless Driving (Class C Misdemeanor), Warrant for Probation Violation through Dearborn County

Agencies Involved included Jennings County Sheriff's Office, Jennings County Central Dispatch, Ripley County Sheriff's Office, Indiana State Police, Indiana State Police Dispatch, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office