ISP: Fleeing burglary suspect caught stuck on railroad tracks

By Lucy Perry
Indiana Central News


A Terre Haute man was apprehended when his vehicle got stuck on railroad tracks after fleeing a trooper near the scene of a burglary late yesterday afternoon in Vigo County.

Preston C. Lee, 30, was booked into the Vigo County Jail at about 7:30 p.m. He faces the following felony charges: Theft;  operating while intoxicated; and resisting law enforcement; and the following midemeanor charges: Residential entry; criminal trespass; criminal mischief; operating while intoxicated endangerment ; and operating while intoxicated schedule I or II.

Indiana State Police Master Trooper Matt Ames responded to a residence in Idle Creek subdivision on a burglary in progress call at about 4:30 p.m.  

According to ISP Trooper B.J. Patterson, Ames noticed a white male walking from the residence towards a gold SUV and attempted to speak with the suspect --when Lee got in the SUV and sped off.

"Trooper Ames activated his emergency lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the vehicle but the subject ignored the activation of the emergency lights and sirens," he said, noting that Vigo County Sheriff Greg Ewing was in the area quickly joined in the the pursuit.

During the pursuit, the vehicle was stopped by a train. The suspect allegedly continued to ignore verbal commands by the officer and rammed Trooper Ames' patrol vehicle.
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The driver of the gold SUV then put the vehicle in reverse and rammed Trooper Ames’ patrol vehicle.

"The train then cleared the tracks and the driver then drove on the tracks where the vehicle became stuck," Patterson explained, adding that is when Ames accessed the vehicle and took the suspect into custody.

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 Assisting were ISP Troopers Erik Smith, Rondell Shelton, Courtland Woodruff and Sergeant Chris Wright. Also assisting were Sheriff Greg Ewing, Deputy David Ewing, and Deputy Chase St. John with the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office.