Man leads chase

A 26-year-old Seymour man claims he helped police capture three people involved with a purse snatching Monday night at Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Justin Hollan said he never thought twice about following a vehicle carrying two men from Champaign, Ill., and a 17-year-old male juvenile from Indianapolis.

Police eventually stopped the vehicle at Interstate 65 and Indiana 256 at Austin in Scott County.

"I thought, ‘They're not getting away, they almost hit my vehicle and they almost hit a pedestrian," Hollan said.

Seymour Detective C.J. Foster is investigating the incident that led to arrests of Javonda L. White, 22, and Reginald D. Haywood, 20, both of Champaign, Ill., on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and two counts of possession of stolen property. The 17-year-old juvenile faces a charge of robbery in connection with the purse theft and two counts of possession of stolen property.

Foster said Tuesday he had not had the chance to speak with Hollan.

"He's on my list of witnesses," Foster said.

Hollan said it was his responsibility to help.

"For one, that's your right, you should do that, and ... when I pulled up, (a man chasing one of the suspects) was yelling ‘stop, stop,'" Hollan said.

Hollan said after that man asked for help, he attempted to use his vehicle to block the purse snatcher, but the teen jumped into a car containing the other two suspects and took off.

Hollan said he chased the vehicle east on Tipton Street toward Interstate 65. At one point, the driver of the vehicle appeared as if he was going to turn left across Tipton Street into a business on the north side of the street.

"It veered back across and drove onto the ramp," Hollan said.

Hollan said he continued to chase the vehicle south on I-65 toward Uniontown and called 911.

A dispatcher told him to slow down and pull over to allow police to continue the pursuit.

"I told her ‘no' because I couldn't see any police officers behind me, and I was going to continue the pursuit until police relieved me," Hollan said.

Police eventually caught up with him south of the Jackson County line, so Hollan said he slowed.

Shortly afterward, the suspects' vehicle left the interstate at the southbound ramp at Austin.

"It became airborne about 20 or 25 feet in the air and down an embankment and then landed on a road," Hollan said. "He tried to take off, but couldn't."

Hollan said one of the suspects attempted to hide from police after the wreck, but all three were taken into custody.

Foster said officers from Seymour, Crothersville, Jackson County and state police were involved in the incident and arrests.

Foster said the purse was recovered in the vehicle, which had been reported stolen out of Champaign. That's where the two charges of possession of stolen property enter the picture. Haywood also faces an additional charge of reckless driving.

Hollan said his decision to go after the three isn't the first time he's helped out.

"I just seem to be in the right place at the right time," he said.