Three people have been arrested by Edmonson County deputies after a high-speed pursuit ended with one suspect jumping into a private vehicle on I-65.
Acccording to the Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 7:30 Friday night, deputies observed a white Chevrolet Trailblazer weaving as it traveled east on Louisville Road. The driver, according to police, was not wearing a seat belt.
The deputy initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of Louisville Road and Ray Houchin Road, but the Chevy failed to pull over before fleeing the deputy.
The vehicle turned onto Ray Houchin Road before turning onto Fairview Church Road, with speeds reaching speeds 65 miles per hour on the secondary roads. The pursuit continued into Barren County where the Trailblazer passed two vehicles in no passing zones, the sheriff’s office said.
At an intersection, two female passengers suddenly exited the vehicle; one jumped out of the back passenger seat, the other jumped out of the rear driver’s side seat. Both women fled on foot.
The Trailblazer continued into Barren County, turning onto Harper Valley Road where the vehicle traveled into the grass. The driver, 42-year-old Ron Grider and his front seat passenger, 34-year-old Savanna Acosta, both of Park City, then fled on foot.
Police said Grider and Acosta ran across the north and southbound lanes of I-65 on foot, almost causing several accidents. Acosta then jumped into the back of a private vehicle and refused to exit. A Barren County deputy then tased Acosta, while other deputies placed her into handcuffs and removed the suspect from the vehicle.
Acosta was seen by law enforcement throwing a bag of methamphetamine under the vehicle, authorities said, which deputies recovered.
While deputies were working to detain Acosta, officers with Cave City Police Department arrived on scene and detained Grider, who surrendered to police.
Police searched the Trailblazer and located suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, with Grider and Acosta admitting to eating methamphetamine in an attempt to “get rid of it.”
Acosta was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine), tampering with physical evidence and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was also served with a felony theft arrest warrant out of Monroe County.
Grider was charged with first degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, first-degree wanton endangerment, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), fleeing or evading police, tampering with physical evidence, reckless driving, possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to wear a seat belt.
One of the women who exited the Chevy during the pursuit, 44-year-old Virginia Rodriguez, of Glasgow, was located and arrested at TJ Samson Community Hospital. She was charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession of drug paraphernalia. Rodriguez was also served with a warrant out of Barren County accusing her of violating bond conditions on a felony drug charge.
Acosta and Rodriguez are being held in the Hart County Jail. Grider was denied booking by the Hart County Jail for medical reasons but was arrested on Saturday by the Cave City Police Department on felony charges and lodged in the Barren County Detention Center.
In addition to the Barren County Sheriff’s Office and Cave City Police Department, Edmonson County deputies were assisted by Kentucky Fish & Wildlife officers.
The investigation is ongoing with additional charges and arrests pending.
(Photo l-r: Savanna Acosta, Ron Grider, Virginia Rodriguez)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
