ELKINS — An Ohio man accused of attempting to run over an Elkins Police Department officer with his vehicle in March entered into a plea agreement this week that dropped the attempted murder charge against him.

Kevin Allen Strickland, 32, of Sunbury, Ohio, appeared in Randolph County Circuit Court Monday and entered a plea of guilty to one count of fleeing in a vehicle with reckless indifference.

He had initially been charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of fleeing in a vehicle with reckless indifference.

Before the plea was accepted by the court, Assistant Randolph County Prosecutor Richard Shryock explained that the initial attempted murder charge was brought forth “as a result of the officer’s allegations;” however, he also explained why the state was not pursuing that charge as part of the plea agreement.

“My office, as well as the (Elkins) City Police, have reviewed the body cam from the incident in question and do not believe at this point that there is a good faith basis for the attempted murder charge,” Shryock told the court. “Just want to make that clear today, your honor, based upon the seriousness of the initial charge and the fact that it was a law enforcement officer.”

Before accepting the plea, Judge David Wilmoth asked Strickland what made him guilty of fleeing in a vehicle with reckless indifference. Strickland said he fled from the police recklessly and added that there was “no denying” that he drove with a “high rate of speed.”

When Wilmoth brought up the allegation that Strickland had driven up to 90 mph, Strickland said he didn’t believe that was entirely factual.

“I don’t believe I was (driving 90 mph), but yes, I was going very fast in a 25-mph zone,” Strickland said. “I’m just glad there was nobody around because it could have gotten bad. Luckily it didn’t.”

Strickland is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13.

According to the complaint, prepared by Patrolman J.H. White with the Elkins City Police, at approximately 11:38 p.m. on March 27, White conducted a traffic stop on Strickland’s vehicle due to it having a driver’s side headlight out. Strickland told the officer during the stop that he did not have insurance.

White wrote in the complaint that he “observed the defendant making many erratic movements within the vehicle.”

After asking Strickland if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, Strickland told the officer that there was marijuana within the automobile, the complaint states. After White asked Strickland to step out of the vehicle, the defendant sped off and made a U-turn within the roadway.

According to the complaint, Strickland then left his lane and drove towards White “at a high rate of speed in an attempt to hit” him. White wrote that Strickland nearly struck him. 

“If the defendant would have hit me, I would have been crushed between his vehicle and my patrol car,” White wrote.

According to the complaint, the vehicle then sped down Railroad Avenue, where another City of Elkins patrolman pulled up behind Strickland to lead the pursuit. Strickland then led officers down Davis Avenue and back onto Randolph Avenue, running multiple stop signs in excess of 90 mph. Strickland nearly struck multiple vehicles while fleeing, and police lost contract with his vehicle and were unable to locate it, the complaint states.