A Leitchfield man has been arrested after stealing a dump truck and leading the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office on an off-road pursuit.
Monday morning, Grayson County Chief Deputy Jarrod Mudd informed deputies to be on the lookout for a GM dump truck stolen from the Leitchfield area. At approximately 3:30 Monday afternoon, Grayson County Sgt. Fred Norder, who was parked on Cemetery Road in Big Clifty, spotted the stolen vehicle traveling north on Hughes Mill Road as it came to a stop at a stop sign, according to the arrest citation.
The dump truck, being driven by 37-year-old Richard B. Rusher, (who has ties to Leitchfield and Hartford), turned onto Hughes Mill Road and drove past Norder, with the sergeant giving chase as Rusher fled, eventually turning onto Hardin Springs Road, the citation says.
Rusher continued on Hardin Springs Road before, in the 400 block, he went off-road into a field. Norder followed through the muddy field before being forced to stop for fear of his cruiser becoming stuck in the mud.
The dump truck continued through the field before entering a densely wooded area where the truck struck a tree head-on, stopping the vehicle from driving down a 200 foot embankment (the suspect traveled nearly a half-mile off-road).
Rusher exited the truck and fled on foot, disappearing into the woods.
Several police officers arrived on the scene within minutes to assist Norder, including Clarkson PD Chief Buck Meredith, Sheriff Norman Chaffins, Mudd, Lt. Sonny Poteet, Constable Mark Stanton, and Kentucky State Troopers Brandon Brooks and Jared Clemons.
Officers searched the area for Rusher for about 90 minutes, when, at about 5:00, Poteet spotted the suspect around the 100 block of Hardin Springs Road. Rusher fled Poteet on foot, but he was quickly spotted by Stanton (who was parked in the area observing) running toward Elizabethtown Road. Stanton gave chase, with Clemons intercepting Rusher in his cruiser at the intersection of Woolridge Street and Church Street. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident.
Rusher was charged with receiving stolen property (more than $10,000), two counts of fleeing or evading police (on foot, in a motor vehicle), two counts of criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding a stop sign.
He was lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center. A trailer that was stolen along with the dump truck was located Tuesday.
In May of last year, Trooper Joey Beasley arrested Rusher on multiple warrants after he spotted Rusher in the 10900 block of Elizabethtown Road, in Big Clifty.
Beasley knew Rusher was wanted on several charges in Grayson County, including second-degree burglary, theft by unlawful taking (over $10,000), first-degree criminal mischief, and first-degree criminal trespassing.
When Beasley made contact with Rusher, he placed him under arrest on the strength of the warrants. In Beasley’s subsequent search of Rusher he found loose hydrocodone pills in the suspect’s pocket, a discovery that added two more charges against Rusher — possession of a controlled substance and having a prescription controlled substance not in its proper container.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
