A Brown County man faces two felonies and multiple misdemeanors after he fled from police, crashed into another vehicle and a tree, and tried to flee on foot.
Police reported finding three syringes and a spoon with drug residue on Cody M. Brown, 28, of Gold Point Road. A search of the vehicle he was driving also yielded another syringe on the driver’s seat floorboard, according to an incident narrative and probable cause affidavit by Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Eggebrecht.
The pursuit began just before 8 p.m. June 20 while Eggebrecht was patrolling in Bean Blossom. He reported seeing a dark-colored Subaru parked in the lot on the northeast side of the State Road 135 North/Spearsville Road intersection, the narrative states.
Eggebrecht had seen the vehicle about an hour earlier and knew it belonged to Brown. He also knew Brown had a warrant in Brown County, and he had checked his license status and found it was suspended, the report said.
As he passed the vehicle, he recognized Brown in the driver’s seat. When Eggebrecht turned around to stop the vehicle, Brown turned onto Spearsville Road. Eggebrecht tried to stop him in the 5500 block, but Brown did not comply.
Eggebrecht turned his sirens on in the 5700 block and pursued the vehicle until it turned on Bell Road. Eggebrecht reported in the incident narrative that Brown was traveling in excess of 80 mph south of Unity Church Road.
After turning onto Bell Road, Eggebrecht reported seeing Brown’s vehicle fishtail.
A few moments later, Eggebrecht saw a dark-colored minivan up an embankment on the north side of Bell Road at the crest of the hill in the road, his narrative states.
Brown had sideswiped the vehicle, which had five people inside, including three children, the officer’s report said. Eggebrecht did not see the crash, his report said.
He said he slowed his vehicle and saw Brown’s vehicle across the road. After hitting the minivan, Brown’s vehicle had struck a tree, the report said.
Eggebrecht tried to stop as he came upon the scene, but his police car ran into the back passenger side of Brown’s vehicle, the report said.
Brown was already out of the car and fleeing, the report said. Eggebrecht followed and ordered him to stop. A short distance into the woods, he complied and was placed in handcuffs, the report said.
Brown told Eggebrecht he was not injured in the crash.
The driver of the van, Kelli A. Studebaker, 35, of Franklin, told police she was heading west and starting up the hill when another vehicle came over the hill in the middle of the road. She said she moved over to the side of the road and her vehicle was struck, the report said.
Studebaker’s front-seat passenger, Richard Spivey, 35, of Bell Road, had pain in his shoulder and told police he would be going to the hospital, the report said.
A child was hit in the face during the crash and Spivey said she would likely have a black eye.
On July 20, Brown was charged with unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony; resisting law enforcement, a Level 6 felony; driving while suspended, a Class A misdemeanor; reckless driving, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
