When deputies responded just before midnight last night to stop a possibly impaired driver near Worthington, the driver did not pull over. Stop sticks were deployed on State Road 157 between Bloomfield and Worthington but the driver continued on then crashed near East Hoot Owl Lane.

Thurman W. Rutledge, 28, Terre Haute, has been identified as the driver of a red 1995 Chevrolet 1500 that failed to pull over when deputies initiated a stop.

Deputy Davis Aerne of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the investigating officer, said Greene County Dispatch received a report, at 11:42 p.m. last night, Sunday, November 8, of a driver who was possibly impaired leaving Worthington.

Deputy Aerne said the suspect vehicle was located just east of Worthington headed southbound on the State Road 157 Pryor Bridge over White River. It was headed toward Bloomfield.

When the vehicle, headed toward Bloomfield, crossed the center line, a traffic stop was initiated near East Owens Farm Road but the driver refused to stop and continued on.

Stop sticks were deployed in the area of East Hollars Road. The vehicle did hit the stop sticks but continued on south until the vehicle left the road and crashed in the area of State Road 157 and East Hoot Owl Lane north of Bloomfield.

The driver, Rutledge, was injured in the crash and was transported by the Greene County Ambulance Service to IU Health Bloomington Hospital with a severe contusion to his head and abrasions to his back and sides.

According to Deputy Aerne, Rutledge is under investigation for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and resisting law enforcement.

In addition to Deputy Aerne and GCSD, personnel responded to assist from the Greene County Ambulance Service, Richland Fire Department and the Bloomfield Police Department.