Unfortunately, there are some drivers who will try anything to evade a police traffic stop. Sadly, their efforts sometimes involve hurting the police officer or other people in the vicinity of the situation. This happened recently in Virginia when a man from Texas led police officers on a high-speed chase, leading to an injury, squad car damage, and multiple charges. 

Attempting to evade a traffic stop led to several charges

According to WJLA, police officers tried conducting a traffic stop shortly after midnight on October 23rd in Virginia. This was in Stafford County, and the man, Austin L. Leonard, refused to pull over. This led to the driver entering a separate county and an increased police presence in order to apprehend him. It was then that he struck a squad car with an officer in it and caused minor damage. 

He continued to evade the traffic stop by suddenly taking an exit on the interstate. This quick action caused one of the police officers following him to hit an attenuator. Of course, this damaged the squad car and put it out of commission for the chase. This happened near the Dale Boulevard Exit 156. 

The police chase continued for some time. However, the multiple police officers then stopped Austin and placed him in handcuffs. Austin is 43 years old and faces three charges. They include driving under the influence, eluding police, and reckless driving. Luckily, the police officer he struck was uninjured, and the one who hit the attenuator did not have serious injuries. 

For more reading, check out this recent article about the massive fines American Airlines faces.