Ken Shmidheiser & Heather Pyles-Tomlinson
Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
It’s the stuff of a cop’s nightmare: A high-speed pursuit of a fleeing motorist who is unknowingly hurtling toward the scene of a double-fatality car wreck that’s still being cleared from the highway.
That nightmare unfolded on U.S. 27 Friday beginning with the fatal accident in Lincoln County that occurred about 10:30 p.m. — an accident in which charges are pending against a Somerset man. About an hour later, officers found themselves in hot pursuit of a Burnside motorist.
The pursuit began at around 11:20 p.m. Scott Wall, of Roberts Bend in Burnside, was driving a 1987 Toyota northbound on U.S. 27 when he was spotted weaving in and out of traffic, according to Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood . Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Wilson attempted to pull Wall over, but Wall sped off. Wilson took chase after him, according to Sheriff Wood.
The pursuit sent Wall, with Wilson in pursuit, speeding toward the Pulaski/Lincoln line. Other officers soon joined the chase.
The lawmen knew something Wall didn’t: About 30 miles ahead near the Lincoln/Garrard line, investigators were still examining the wreckage of a double-fatality in which another Pulaski Countian, Brett Whittaker, 27, of Somerset, had been involved.
Dispatchers, keeping tabs on the location of both the fleeing Wall and the pursuing officers, were under the orders of Sheriff Wood to terminate the chase if it approached the wreck scene.
“At that point it would have been too dangerous to continue pursuit,” Sheriff Wood explained.
At the wreck site, investigators with Kentucky State Police Post No. 7 were still putting together the pieces of the accident which claimed the lives of Lavada G. and John K. Rowland, both 48, of Berea.
Whittaker, in another vehicle, had already been flown to the University of Kentucky Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, including a broken leg and facial lacerations. A spokesperson at the UK Medical Center said he was listed in fair condition as of Saturday afternoon.
Back at the chase, Wall had led deputies five miles into Lincoln County at speeds of between 70 and 85 mph. He then decided to turn off U.S. 27 and head down the backroads. He turned onto County Road 1721 and continued to lead Wilson to its intersection with County Road 328. At that point he could have headed toward Stanford, Crab Orchard, or Lancaster — all less than ideal for those officers in pursuit, especially that latter since that would have put Wall on a collision course with the crash scene.
Officers were able to breath a sigh of relief when Wall turned back off 328 and eventually looped back out onto U.S. 27 where he headed south back into Pulaski County.
By that time, Lincoln County deputies and KSP had been notified of the pursuit, and officers with the Somerset Police Department were on standby should Wall enter the city limits.
“Stop sticks,” used by lawmen to puncture a fleeing car’s tires, were deployed at the intersection of U.S. 27 and Ky. 635 in Science Hill, but Wall apparently managed to avoid those, according to information heard by those involved over the scanner on Friday evening.
Wall’s luck ran out when he hit another set of stop sticks, this time at the new I-66 interchange below Science Hill. Both front tires were punctured, but Wall continued to flee, turning onto Ky. 2227. His Toyota gave up the ghost and finally rolled to a stop after nearly 30 minutes of chase.
Wall was arrested after several minutes of resistance. Officers said they detected a strong odor of alcohol when he was taken custody.
He was charged with DUI, first-degree fleeing and evading police, driving with no insurance, and a moving violation (one headlight out) and was lodged in Pulaski County Detention Center.
The fate of Whittaker remains uncertain.
Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum on Saturday told the Commonwealth Journal that the accident occurred when Whittaker’s southbound vehicle, later identified by KSP as a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado truck, crossed the center line and struck the Rowlands’ 1997 Toyota Corolla head-on.
The Rowlands, who were in Stanford to help their son start a church in the area, were pronounced dead at the scene at around 10:55 p.m. by Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum. Marcum said at least one alcoholic container was found in Whittaker’s vehicle. He could not say whether the container was open or not.
The Rowlands were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. Whittaker was not.
Charges against Whittaker are pending, according to KSP, which is investigating the wreck.
