WHP 12-28, 2016
A Laurel, Montana man led Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers and other law enforcement officers on a 50 mile pursuit Tuesday (Dec. 27th) afternoon through 2 counties.
Around 3:18 p.m. on December 27th, WHP Dispatch center received a traffic complaint on a silver sedan which passed the RP on the right shoulder with a reported speed of 100 mph. The vehicle was reported to be headed northbound on I-25 near mile post 40 in Laramie County. A vehicle matching the traffic complaint was observed by a trooper in Platte County near mile post 75. The Trooper observed the vehicle passing cars on the right shoulder at a high rate of speed. A traffic stop as initiated once the Trooper caught up the suspect vehicle. The silver Subaru failed to pull over and a vehicle pursuit was initiated.
The Subaru eluded troopers at speeds exceeding 120 mph. During the pursuit, law enforcement officer attempted to spike the vehicle numerous times with one spike strip being successfully deployed. The driver attempted to cause numerous crashes with passenger cars and law enforcement vehicles. At one point during the pursuit, the vehicle collided with a WYDOT snow plow. To end the pursuit, Troopers used their vehicles to disable the Subaru.
The driver and lone occupant in the Subaru, 32 year old Jonathan Wayne Hankinson was taken into custody after he crashed his vehicle near exit 135.
The Subaru had been listed as stolen out of Albuquerque, NM.
Hankinson was taken to Memorial Hospital of Converse County to be checked out. He was released and booked into the Converse County Jail. Hankinson has been charged with possession of stolen property, aggravated assault on a peace officer, fleeing and eluding, and reckless endangering. A search warrant has been sought for the vehicle he was driving.
One trooper was treated and released with minor injuries from the pursuit and apprehension of Hankinson. Two WHP and one Converse County patrol vehicles were damaged during the pursuit.