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Caleb Cooney, 18, was allegedly intoxicated when he attempted to elude members of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office by speeding through the area and taking questionable evasive maneuvers, authorities say.
The incident began shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 1.
A sergeant from the sheriff’s office was driving north on University Boulevard when he spotted a Honda Civic speeding toward him before slamming on the brakes and going sideways in the roadway, promptly making a U-turn into the southbound lanes.
The sergeant followed in kind, and as he prepared to conduct a traffic stop, Cooney turned off the Honda’s headlights and sped away, refusing to stop.
During the subsequent police pursuit, Cooney continued to Stafford Lakes Parkway, sped through a red light at Warrenton Road and into the parking lots of Aldi and 7-Eleven before he went through the same red light back to Stafford Lakes Parkway, according to officials.
Cooney allegedly continued speeding at more than 80 mph at times, through more stop signs and red lights, nearly causing an accident at one point, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said. Then things got worse for the teen.
A tire went down on the Honda, but undeterred, Cooney continued on, though he slowed to speeds between 40 mph and 60 mph, sending rubber pieces flying at the pursuing members of the sheriff’s office.
The pursuit came to an end - or so they thought - on Charter Gate, when Cooney wound up crashing into the yard of a home.
But he wasn’t done yet.
According to the spokesperson, deputies tried to call Cooney out of the car, and he agreed to surrender if deputies turned off their emergency equipment and let him use his vape.
Unsurprisingly, Cooney did not go down without a fight, and instead put his beat-up car back in gear, launching a second pursuit to the cul-de-sac of Laurel Pine Court, where he struck a patrol vehicle and went through two yards in one last gasp attempt to flee.
This time, deputies were able to corral him after he took out a cable box in a front yard and crashed in a front yard on Royal Crescent Way.
Cooney remained uncooperative, but was ultimately apprehended and charged with:
- Two counts of felony eluding;
- Two counts of obstruction;
- DUI (second offense in five years);
- Driving while suspended;
- Multiple traffic infractions.
He is being held without bond. No return court information was provided by police
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