A New Albany, Indiana man is facing five felony charges after he allegedly stole another man’s BMW at knifepoint and led police on a chase spanning two counties that ended when his vehicle slammed into another car and flipped it, according to New Albany police.
Justin Schuley, 34, is accused of confronting the BMW’s owner with a knife and taking the vehicle before fleeing the area. New Albany Police Department officers picked up his trail and pursued him across county lines as he continued driving, according to the New Albany Police Department and local reporting on the case.
Chase ends in a violent crash
The pursuit came to an end when Schuley’s vehicle struck another car on the roadway, causing it to flip over. It was not immediately clear from police accounts whether anyone in the second vehicle was injured in the crash, though Schuley was taken into custody at the scene.
Schuley was charged with armed robbery, resisting law enforcement, battery by means of a deadly weapon and driving while suspended, all felonies, along with a misdemeanor count of reckless driving, according to court records cited by local news outlets.
Case moves toward court proceedings
The armed robbery charge alone carries the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence in Indiana, particularly given the additional felony counts stemming from the chase and crash. New Albany, a city of roughly 38,000 across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky, has seen an uptick in vehicle theft cases converted into pursuits in recent months, according to local police blotters.
It was not immediately clear when Schuley is scheduled to appear in court. The investigation into the incident, including the condition of the driver whose car was struck during the chase, was continuing as of this week.
