When the driver of a stolen vehicle fled from an ISP trooper, the chase was on. Heading north on 67 from Switz City last Wednesday morning, speeds reached 115 mph. When it ended north of the flasher south of Worthington, the lone trooper held the driver on the ground and three passengers in the vehicle until other officers arrived.

The driver was arrested on the scene.

Seth Allen Hutchens, 21, of Indianapolis, was taken into custody by Indiana State Police Master Trooper Eric Nash last Wednesday, May 8.

Trooper Nash 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.

When Hutchens appeared in Greene Superior Court yesterday, Tuesday, May 14, for an initial hearing, a public defender was appointed to represent him and he was 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.  

When Hutchens was booked into jail around 10:30 a.m. on May 8, his bond was set at $9,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. As of Wednesday evening, May 15, he had not yet posted bond and remained in the Greene County Jail.