A wanted Illinois man dragged six different law enforcement agencies across two states and through open fields trying to dodge tire-deflation devices before he was finally taken into custody, according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana.
Ethan Glidewell, 33, of Greenup, Illinois, was already wanted on aggravated battery and auto theft charges out of Illinois when deputies say he crossed into Indiana’s Sullivan County in a stolen vehicle. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office was tipped off that Glidewell was headed their way from Crawford County, Illinois, and pursuit units began tracking him almost as soon as he crossed the state line.
Off-roading to dodge the spike strips
Deputies say Glidewell repeatedly steered off the roadway to avoid tire-deflation devices set up ahead of him. At the intersection of State Road 154 and County Road 125 East, a Sullivan County deputy and a Shelburn police officer managed to get stop sticks under his tires, and Glidewell hit them, but kept driving anyway, according to police.
The pursuit stretched through Sullivan and Vigo counties before Glidewell eventually crossed back into Illinois, where he was taken into custody in Crawford County. In total, six agencies took part in the chase: the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana State Police, the Farmersburg Police Department, the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office, the Shelburn Police Department and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
Facing charges in two states
Glidewell was taken to Crawford County Hospital for a medical evaluation before being booked into the Crawford County Jail, where he now awaits extradition proceedings to face additional charges in Indiana on top of the Illinois warrants that triggered the chase in the first place.
Sources: WTHI-TV · My Wabash Valley
