5 People In Car Scream For Driver To Stop As He Leads Police On Wild Highway 27 Pursuit Before Crashing At 153

Five people in a black Saturn said they were screaming for driver Logan Dewayne Lepard to stop, but he kept trying to elude police at high speeds on Highway 27.

The vehicle eventually slid across the highway at Highway 153 and crashed into a wooded area in the incident on Sunday.

Two people in the vehicle had to be transported to the hospital.

Lepard, 19, of 4577 West Hassler Road, Signal Mountain, is charged with two counts of adult kidnapping, five counts of reckless endangerment, speeding, not having insurance, felony evading arrest, reckless driving, improper lane usage, failure to exercise due care, no seat belt, improper display of license and driving on a revoked or suspended license.

A Red Bank officer said he observed the 1998 Saturn with five occupants pass him in the 3100 block of Dayton Boulevard just after 10 p.m. He said it had an improper display violation.

He said he attempted to stop the vehicle in the parking lot at 101 Signal Mountain Road at 10:08 p.m. He approached the vehicle, but it sped away.

The Red Bank officer began following the vehicle going north on U.S. Highway 27.

The officer said at one point the driver acted like he was going to pull over and two passengers tried to get out. However, he drove off again.

The officer said the pursuit continued on U.S. Highway 27 Northbound and was intercepted by other Red Bank officers located at the Morrison Springs Road exit. Officers pursued Lepard until he decided to exit at the Highway 153 exit.

Lepard experienced a blowout to one of his front tires causing him to lose control of the vehicle, which made the vehicle unable to navigate the turn. Lepard slid across Highway 153 and exited the road. The vehicle ran into a group of trees and chain link fence.

Lepard exited the vehicle with his hands up and was taken into custody by Red Bank officers.

The other passengers were identified as Robert Lloyd Cox Jr., Amanda Keener, Kayla M. Bristow and Sabrina A. Mathis.

Robert Cox said, "While driving on Daton Blvd. we were pulled over 1st we stopped then the driver pulled off everybody in the car yelled for him to stop he kept on speeding  on the freeway I handed my girlfriend my phone and told her to call 911 to tell what was happening. The whole chase we all were telling him to stop. He was panicking scared. I just kept telling him to think about his unborn child he thought about it for a sec but wouldn't stop. After we pulled off the exit he lost control and crashed. My girlfriend and I immediately told the police that we called 911 saying we had no part in his running away no matter what we thought or felt."

Sabrina A. Mathis gave this account, "Police got behind us and blue lighted driver started freaking out pulled over then took off real fast everyone in car started screaming for him to stop begging and screaming the driver was freaking out asking for his phone he called his mother to ask what he should do. I got the passengers cell phone I called 911 cause I didn't know what else to do but didn't want to be in trouble or shot at when the Police did get him to stop and his GF is pregnant and was worried about everyone’s safety the phone was cutting out bad so I was bent down in the back seat to hear better everyone was screaming and freaking out next thing I knew the car crashed and I got out on the ground the second time the driver attempted to stop myself and the front passenger tried to open the door to get out and he took off again we begged him to stop and let us out but he wouldn't stop till we crashed."

Kayla Bristow and Amanda Keener were transported to the hospital.

Ms. Mathis was also arrested for a theft over $500 warrant.

Lepard was transported to the Hamilton County Jail.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol worked the vehicle accident.