BUCKHANNON – A Lewis County man was arrested last week after allegedly fleeing from several police officers on a motorcycle.
Christopher Lipps, 31, of Weston was arrested for fleeing with reckless disregard, a felony.
According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Sgt. Theron Caynor with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, March 17, Caynor, Sgt. Rodney Rolenson and Deputy Cole Bender responded to a call for assistance from Deputy Corey Matheny of Lewis County Sheriff’s Department.
Matheny was in pursuit of a red motorcycle that was allegedly fleeing at speeds of 100 mph on the Hackers Creek Road. The driver of the motorcycle, later identified as Lipps, allegedly drove into Upshur County and the deputies encountered him on Hackers Creek Road. All three of the Upshur County cruisers had their emergency lights and sirens activated and they began to pursue, the file says.
However, Lipps allegedly drove past them at a high rate of speed and continued on the Hackers Creek Road to Route 20. Caynor turned and followed Lipps, who allegedly refused to stop for the officers. According to the report, Lipps crossed Route 20 without stopping and drove down Teter Road. Lipps then reportedly drove through the Hodgesville Elementary School 15 mph zone – which had its caution light flashing – at approximately 90 to 100 mph.
According to the report, Lipps passed several cars traveling on the Teter Road in the opposite direction, putting them at risk, the file says. Lipps later wrecked on the Teter Road and was found a short distance from the motorcycle, the police report says.
Bail was set at $10,000, but as of Tuesday, Lipps was no longer listed on the West Virginia Regional Jail site.
The penalty for a conviction of fleeing reckless with disregard is a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,000 and confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than five years.
In unrelated crime news, a Harrison County man was arrested last Tuesday after a law enforcement officer discovered his license was revoked for DUI and had several outstanding warrants.
Blaine Ash, 37, of Salem, was arrested Tuesday, March 16 for driving revoked DUI third offense, a felony.
According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Chief Deputy Michael Coffman, at approximately 1:30 p.m. on March 16, Coffman was on routine patrol on Route 20 North when he spotted a silver 1999 Lincoln Town Car with an expired motor vehicle inspection traveling southbound.
The vehicle turned off Route 20 onto Buckhannon Crossroads when Coffman noticed the West Virginia registration sticker had expired in 2020. At this time, Coffman turned on his emergency lights and pulled over the vehicle in the Walmart parking lot. Coffman asked for the driver’s license and registration, but the driver, later identified as Ash, said he didn’t have anything on him, so Coffman ran his information through the E911 Upshur County Communication Center.
The E911 Center reported that Ash allegedly had numerous warrants; was a National Crime Information Center hit from Harrison County; and his driver’s license was revoked for DUI.
The file says Ash had two prior convictions for driving while license revoked for DUI on Oct. 1, 2014 and Oct. 17, 2014, in addition to two pending driving while license revoked for DUI third offense charges.
Ash was arrested for two felony capias warrants out of Harrison County for driving while license revoked for DUI third offense and a misdemeanor warrant for possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine. Additionally, Coffman charged Ash with driving while license revoked for DUI third offense.
Ash is being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail out of Upshur County on a $40,000 cash-only bond.
The penalty for a conviction of driving revoked for DUI third offense is confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than three years and a fine of not less than $3,000 nor more than $5,000.
