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MILL CREEK -- A Randolph County man has been charged with fleeing with reckless indifference, a felony, after a police pursuit early Tuesday morning.
According to the criminal complaint, Billy Joe Currence Jr., 34, of 88 Currence Road in Mill Creek, was parked in the roadway of Shaffers Run Road in a red Dodge Dakota at approximately 2:44 a.m.
Cpl. S.D. Kyle of the Randolph County Sheriff's Office passed the vehicle while on patrol and as he did the truck began to move, the complaint states. Kyle noticed the vehicle did not have a registration light. After turning his cruiser around to approach the truck, Kyle saw the truck accelerate at a high rate of speed.
Kyle initiated his cruiser's lights and sirens but the vehicle did not stop, according to the complaint. The truck continued on Shaffers Run Road before turning on to Mud Run Road. The truck allegedly reached speeds of approximately 70 mph in the 35 mph zone with portions of the road covered in ice.
When the fleeing vehicle approached the intersection of Mud Run and Back Road, it made no attempt to stop at the stop sign and continued straight through a fence and into an open field, the complaint states.
The driver exited the vehicle and began to flee on foot, according to the police report. He was later caught up to and apprehended by Kyle and placed under arrest. While doing a pat down search, a glass smoking pipe was found located in the defendants pocket.
According to the report, a syringe, another glass smoking pipe and a half a pill was located on the driver's side of the vehicle. While at Davis Medical Center for medical clearance, the defendant advised the nurses that he might have "meth" in his system.
Currence is currently incarcerated in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.