Suspect arrested after chase, crash

Photo courtesy MCSO
A truck driven by Cody Stephens, 21, of Whitley City crashed Thursday night after the driver reportedly fled from State Police.

By Greg Bird
birdman@tmcvoice.com

A Whitley City man was arrested after leading State Police on a pursuit, resulting in a crash due to icy roads Thursday night
According to the citation Kentucky State Police Trooper Donnie Jones was on patrol around 10:30 p.m. when he observed a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup with a wrong registration plate on U.S. 27. When he attempted to make a traffic stop the vehicle drove off at a high rate of speed.
With Trooper Jones in pursuit the vehicle turned on to highway 1651 and traveled on to 92 west before making a right turn on to Trent Street. As the truck continued on to Veterans Drive it hit a patch of snow and crashed in to a utility pole.
The suspect, identified as Cody Stephens, 21, of Whitley City, then exited the crashed vehicle through the passenger side window of the truck and began to flee on foot. Stephens refused orders to stop and was tazed and arrested.
Stephens was found to have two concealed pistols in his jacket at the time of his arrest. A search of the vehicle revealed a plastic box containing methamphetamine and Xanax pills.
Stephens complained of shoulder pain and was transported to the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital where he was treated and released in to custody, where he was transported to the Leslie County Detention Center.
An unidentified passenger in the vehicle was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center after being extracated from the vehicle at the scene.
Stephens was charged with 18 offenses, including: fleeing/evading police (vehicle and foot), wanton endangerment 1st degree (police), trafficking in a controlled substance (more than 2 grams of meth), wanton endangerment, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a controlled substance, OUI, resisting arrest, driving on DUI suspended license and various traffic offenses.
(Editor’s note: the Cody Stephens in the story is not the same individual who works as a Deputy with the McCreary County Sheriff’s Department.)