Two were arrested and methamphetamine was found Tuesday following a pursuit that began in the Walmart parking lot in Washington C.H. and ended in Sabina.
At around 2:41 p.m. Tuesday, a woman reported to police that she allowed Joey L. Woody, 35, and Desiree D. Coonrod, 22, of 627 E. Market St. in Washington C.H., to borrow her vehicle with the understanding that the vehicle would be returned at a specific time. However, the vehicle was never returned by Woody and Coonrod, according to reports.
At 9:45 p.m., Washington C.H. Police Department officers located the stolen Jeep Cherokee in the Walmart lot, 1397 Leesburg Ave., near the front of the store. Once the temporary tag was positively identified, confirming it was the stolen vehicle, an officer attempted to make a traffic stop after the vehicle exited the lot westbound onto Leesburg Avenue.
The driver, later identified as Woody, did not stop the vehicle after police activated their cruisers’ overhead lights and sirens. Woody continued out of the city on US 62 toward Sabina, according to reports, and a pursuit ensued. The vehicle went left of center several times around curves and on straight stretches of road, police said. On more than one occasion, Woody reportedly traveled in the opposite lane for an extended period of time and made no effort to get back into the proper lane of travel.
The pursuit reached speeds of 80-plus miles per hour several times on wet road surfaces, according to reports. Approximately nine minutes into the pursuit, a Fayette County Sheriff’s Office vehicle became the lead vehicle in the chase at the request of police.
As the chase continued into the Village of Sabina, Woody continued to drive at a high rate of speed in 25 mile per hour zones. When the pursuit reached Premier Grain, Woody allegedly drove recklessly through the gravel lot and around buildings. The vehicle struck the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office cruiser when Woody attempted to accelerate past him, according to reports.
The vehicle then struck a large propane tank and finally crashed into a police cruiser head-on. Woody and the passenger, identified as Coonrod, were then taken into custody without further incident, police said.
No injuries were reported during the pursuit or crash.
During the inventory of the stolen Jeep, an officer located a crack pipe in the front passenger compartment where Coonrod had been sitting, reports said. A baggy containing a hard, white substance that later field tested positive for methamphetamine was also found on the passenger side floor board.
“As I walked back to my vehicle Miss Coonrod began yelling in an attempt to get my attention,” states the police report from officer Derek Pfeifer. “I opened the door to speak to Miss Coonrod and she stated that she ‘needed to talk to me’ and proceeded to admit that there were drugs in the car and that they belonged to her.”
Pfeifer said he advised Coonrod of her rights and gave her Miranda, which she waived.
“Miss Coonrod then admitted to me that the baggy with the white substance was ‘meth,’ Pfeifer’s report said. “She further stated that the scales we located were hers and she intended to ‘sell the meth tomorrow.’ Miss Coonrod stated that she was ‘being taught’ how to sell drugs but did not mention Mr. Woody’s name. Miss Coonrod also admitted that a crack pipe that we located was hers and that she had recently ‘smoked crack and snorted meth.’”
The meth was taken to the Washington Police Department and weighed using a digital scale. The total weight including the baggy was eight grams, reports said.
Coonrod was charged with unauthorized use, third-degree felony drug trafficking, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Woody was charged with unauthorized use, fleeing & eluding, and having no operator’s license. Both are being held in the Fayette County Jail.
