A Florida man accused of fleeing police by driving the wrong way on Interstate 64 was one of a handful of defendants indicted Wednesday morning by the Clark County grand jury.
Andrew Grant, 21, of Miami, Fla., was indicted for first-degree fleeing or evading police, driving under the influence, speeding in a work zone, first-degree wanton endangerment, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to maintain insurance, improper turning and failure to wear a seat belt from the March 1 incident in Clark County.
In a previous court hearing, Kentucky State Police Trooper Anthony Trotter said he was patrolling I-64 near Winchester that day when he was notified of a driver going the wrong way. He located the suspect’s vehicle parked facing east in the westbound lanes. When he approached the driver’s door, Grant refused to roll down the window or open the door despite numerous requests from Trotter. While he was on the radio with dispatchers, Grant drove away and continued going east in the westbound lanes.
Trotter said he followed at a “safe distance” and saw Grant sideswipe another vehicle before running over a set of spike strips deployed by another officer. Trotter said the vehicle entered the median and the eastbound lanes and the construction zone. Trotter said he received permission to spin the vehicle out and end the pursuit.
Trotter and another officer approached the door and broke the window when Grant again refused to open the window or acknowledge the officers. Trotter said Grant appeared to be heavily intoxicated, but there was no evidence of alcohol in the vehicle.
The grand jury also indicted 61-year-old David M. Patrick for an unrelated pursuit on I-64 four months earlier. Patrick, of 130 Jefferson St., was indicted first-degree fleeing or evading police and two counts of first-degree unlawful imprisonment. According to court documents, Winchester Police received a call around 5:25 p.m on Nov. 8, 2011, from a woman being held against her will in a moving car. She said she and her daughter wanted to get out of the car, but the driver refused to stop.
Winchester Police officers spotted the vehicle on I-64 near the 101 mile marker, but the driver refused to stop. Police pursued him for about five miles; at one point, police said Patrick was holding a Bible outside the driver’s window and driving without holding the steering wheel. Officers finally stopped Patrick after blocking his vehicle.
A 20-year-old was indicted as well after he said he accidentally shot a friend in May. Keithyon Nelson, of 36 Fitch Ave., was indicted for first-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence after a 17-year-old was shot once on May 19. Residents along Wainscott Avenue reported hearing gunshots that morning, but officers were notified by Clark Regional Medical Center employees of a juvenile with a gunshot wound.
The juvenile was shot once in the leg following a fight between two groups of boys, police said. Witnesses said Nelson fired several shots, one of which struck the juvenile.
When officers located Nelson, he admitted firing the gun and took officers to the spot where he hid the .25 caliber handgun.
The grand jury also returned the following indictments Wednesday.
— James Blevins, cultivating marijuana more than five plants, possession of marijuana.
— Gregory Embs, trafficking in marijuana more than eight ounces and less than five pounds, possession of drug paraphernalia.
— Brett Williams, first-degree burglary, possession of drug paraphernalia, first-degree persistent felony offender.
— David Glenn Campbell, flagrant non-support
— John W. Patton Jr., cultivating marijuana more than five plants.
Contact Fred Petke at fpetke@winchestersun.com.
