SUSSEX Co., Va. - A man wanted on several felony warrants out of Prince George, Virginia, was arrested after leading a Virginia State Police trooper on a chase on I-95 in Sussex County.
Just before 5 p.m. Thursday, a Virginia State Trooper on routine patrol saw a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox with improper registration driving on I-95 south. The trooper tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver refused to stop.
The trooper started a pursuit and followed the driver as they sped off the interstate. The driver continued down the exit ramp, driving through the stop sign at the bottom of the ramp at Route 631.
The driver then lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road, driving down an embankment before coming to a stop in the middle of the road. The trooper tried to block the Chevrolet, and while getting out of his vehicle to try to take the driver into custody, the driver once again sped off back onto the interstate.
The trooper began to chase the vehicle once again and was able to pull up beside the driver to try to positively identify them and confirm that there was a passenger in the vehicle.
The driver, who State Police identified as 25-year-old Michael Wayne Newman Jr. of Colonial Heights began to wave what appeared to be a gun at the trooper before getting off the interstate at the 17 mile marker. Once off the interstate, officials say Newman began to lose control of the vehicle on Route 301.
With the help of another trooper, State Police executed a pursuit intervention technique to stop the pursuit, "due to the seriousness of the violator's offenses and danger to the community."
This was successful, and Newman was taken into custody without incident.
Authorities say neither Newman nor his female passenger were hurt during the pursuit.
He was charged with seven felonies, eight misdemeanors and nine traffic offenses, including:
- Abduction by force (female passenger)
- Driving While Intoxicated, drugs
- Possession of a Schedule I/II drug
- Possession of controlled paraphernalia
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
- Possession of a firearm while in possession of Schedule I/I drugs
- Reckless driving by speed
- Reckless driving failure to stop/signal
- Reckless driving-failure to yield entering a highway
- No operators license
- Hit and run, failure to stop
- Disregard commands by a law enforcement officer
- Damage to state property (two counts)
- Improper registration
- Nine other traffic infractions
He was taken to the Sussex Jail, where he is being held without bond.
