Police: Driver hits cars, leads Chesapeake officers on multi-city pursuit

CHESAPEAKE

A man who police said led them on a multi-city pursuit rammed into state police cruisers before losing control and crashing in Newport News on Tuesday night. 

The pursuit began shortly after 11:15 p.m. when a Chesapeake police officer spotted the man’s Ford Explorer and tried to pull it over for traffic violations and on suspicion that he was driving under the influence of alcohol, said Dorienne Boykin, police spokeswoman.

The officer attempted to pull the SUV over at Liberty Street and Atlantic Avenue, but the driver continued.

The SUV stopped at the intersection of Ohio Street and Chesapeake Drive, where a 32-year-old male passenger got out, police said. The passenger told police he asked the driver for a ride from the Tinee Giant at 1001 Jackson Avenue to another location in Chesapeake, and said the driver would not let him out after police tried to stop the SUV. He also said the driver pointed a gun at him.

The driver eventually headed onto Interstate 464, Boykin said. Police followed the man up I-464 then onto I-264 and I-64 toward Hampton.

State police joined the pursuit and the man rammed at least two troopers’ cruisers, Boykin said.

When the driver reached Newport News, he lost control and crashed north of the Jefferson Avenue exit.

The man was injured and was taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center.

Police identified the suspect Wednesday afternoon as Danny Jo Hedrick, 43, of the 1200 block of Edenham Court, in Virginia Beach. He has been charged with abduction, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of firearm by a felon, felony habitual offender, felony evading, driving under the influence and other traffic offenses, police said.

No Chesapeake police officers or state troopers were injured during the pursuit, she said.