The driver of a stolen car pursued by a trooper in early May, from Switz City at speeds up to 115 mph toward Worthington, pleaded guilty last Thursday and was sentenced to time in the Greene County Jail.

When the chase ended north of the flasher light south of Worthington on State Road 67, the driver and three passengers stuck their hands out car windows to “give up” to the trooper behind them. The trooper requested backup but until other officers arrived, the lone trooper held the driver on the ground and three passengers in the vehicle.

Seth Allen Hutchens, 21 at the time of the incident, of Indianapolis, was taken into custody by Indiana State Police Master Trooper Eric Nash on Wednesday, May 8. Hutchens was then charged with:

• Auto theft involving theft of entire vehicle, a Level 6 felony,

• Resisting law enforcement with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony, and

• Reckless driving at unreasonable speed that endangers safety, a Class C misdemeanor.  

By mid-May, Hutchens agreed to plead guilty and a negotiated plea agreement was accepted by the court.

Under the terms of the agreement, the first and third counts were dismissed and Hutchens changed his plea to guilty of count two – resisting law enforcement with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony.

During a hearing in Greene Superior Court last Thursday, Judge Dena Martin sentenced Hutchens to 180 days in the county jail and he was ordered to pay a fine and court costs.

Hutchens was given credit for 29 days already served at the time of sentencing.

Prior to sentencing, Hutchens was held on a bond of $9,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. Hutchens was represented in court by a public defender who, not long after the arrest, filed a motion to reduce the amount of his bond but that was denied by the judge. Hutchens did not post bond and has remained in jail since he was arrested on the scene.

Trooper Nash was the lone trooper who was on patrol that day on State Road 67 south of Switz City when he saw a black 2017 Toyota Corolla traveling at a high rate of speed around 8:45 a.m. He clocked the car with radar at 71 mph in a 55 mph zone, activated the lights and turned around.

When the car accelerated, he activated the siren and the pursuit began. The car reportedly blew right through the four-way stop in Switz City at the SR 67 and 54 junction. Trooper Nash said he slowed down to clear the intersection then caught up to the Corolla.

North of County Road 600 West, Nash reported he was pacing the Corolla at 115 mph as the pursuit traveled north. Then just south of County Road 315 North, the vehicle pulled over to the grass and stopped. With his weapon drawn, Trooper Nash got out of his patrol vehicle, approached the car and ordered the driver to shut the car off, but the Corolla took off and sped away.

Trooper Nash said he jumped back into his patrol vehicle and the chase was on again. Nash was operating an unmarked car, and he again caught up to the fleeing Corolla.

In his narrative about the incident, Trooper Nash wrote that once they were north of the junction of SR 57 with SR 67/US 231, the Corolla pulled over for the second time and again Nash drew his weapon and stepped out of his vehicle.

Nash said, “Again I stepped from my police commission with my duty weapon drawn but this time I saw all four windows of the car down and four sets of hands sticking out of the windows. I ordered the driver to shut the vehicle off and toss the key out the driver’s window which he did.”

Trooper Nash then ordered the driver to keep his hands up, get out of the car then get on the ground with his hands behind his back. He ordered the three passengers to keep their hands up where he could see them.

At that point, Trooper Nash requested another officer and kept the four at bay until Town Marshal Randy Raney of the Worthington Police Department arrived to assist. With Nash maintaining security, Marshal Raney secured the driver and all of the passengers in handcuffs.

Then Senior Trooper Ryan White, Master Trooper John Yung and Trooper Caleb Garvin all arrived on the scene.

A records check revealed the Corolla had been reported stolen out of Avon, Ind. on March 22.

Nash’s narrative indicates the driver was cooperative. When Nash asked him what he was doing in Greene County, he said he ran down to pick up a friend. The driver allegedly claimed he had purchased the car after finding it for sale online and had given the seller $1000 down and still had to pay another $1000.

According to Nash, Hutchens said the first time he stopped he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake and when he saw the trooper with his gun out, he just went ahead and took off. He also said he had no idea where he was and he knew he wasn’t going to outrun Nash’s car so he decided to stop and give up.