A man with no driver’s license led Washington C.H. police officers on a pursuit with speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour Friday night before he lost control of his vehicle on “Halliday’s curve” on State Route 41.
At approximately 10:40 p.m. Friday, an officer parked on Rose Avenue just off of Delaware Street observed a Chrysler PT Cruiser with only one working headlight and taillight, as well as a muffler dragging on the pavement. As the vehicle traveled over a bump on the road, the muffler struck the ground, causing sparks to fly, according to reports.
As the vehicle turned northbound on North North Street approaching Gibbs Avenue, the officer initiated a traffic stop and the PT cruiser pulled into the parking lot of Cash and Carry, 1200 N. North St.
The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Travis E. Langley, 26, of 717 Riverbirch Road. He told the officer that the vehicle belonged to someone else, reports said.
Langley told the officer that he was currently on felony probation and that he hadn’t checked in with his probation officer in two weeks. “At that time I asked Mr. Langley if he had been drinking as I could smell the odor of alcohol omitting from the vehicle,” the officer wrote in his report. “Mr. Langley denied having consumed any alcohol at that time.”
A check of Langley’s identification revealed that his driving privileges had been suspended and that there was an active arrest warrant in his name through the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
“At that time I requested Mr. Langley turn the vehicle off,” the officer wrote. “Mr. Langley hesitated for a second and then reached down and put the car into drive and proceeded to depart at a high rate of speed.”
Two officers followed Langley northbound on State Route 41. “As I attempted to catch Mr. Langley I observed that we were passing multiple vehicles as they traveled southbound on State Route 41,” wrote the officer. “As we passed Hickory Lane on State Route 41, I observed that I was traveling in excess of 100 mph in an attempt to catch Mr. Langley. As I approached Civic Drive I started to slow down in anticipation of a sharp left curve that we were approaching.”
However, Langley did not slow down, according to police. As he approached a vehicle that was also going northbound on State Route 41, he entered the southbound lane of travel in order to pass the vehicle in front of him. He then lost control of the PT Cruiser, struck a guardrail on Halliday’s Curve, bounced off the guardrail back across the southbound lane into the northbound lane. After his vehicle narrowly missed crashing into the car he had tried to pass, it went over a ditch and into a farm field on the east side of the roadway.
The vehicle traveled approximately 150 feet before stopping in the freshly-plowed, muddy field. Langley emerged from the vehicle and immediately dropped to his knees, police said. He was then placed in handcuffs without further incident. After being transported to the police department, Langley submitted to a breath test which yielded a result of .05 blood alcohol content, according to reports.
He was charged with felony fleeing and eluding, OVI, a headlight violation, no operator’s license, and driving an unsafe vehicle.
