On Thursday evening July 14 at approximately 10:30 p.m., Sheriff’s Deputies Brad Williams and Andrew Jordan were conducting road patrol in the Flatwoods area near Lloyds Hardware. The officers observed a green Honda Civic which appeared to have defective equipment. When the Deputies ran the license plate, Braxton Control informed them that the registration had expired in March.
When the officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, on I-79 the vehicle accelerated in an attempt to elude law enforcement. The pursuit, with speeds exceeding 100 MPH, eventually lead to the Honda exiting the highway at the Frametown Exit. The pursuit continued on Route 4 toward Strange Creek. The vehicle turned onto Tate Creek Road, still traveling at a high rate of speed, before turning onto Potato Run Road where the driver eventually lost control and went into the ditch.
During the chase, officers witnessed the passenger throwing unknown items from the vehicle’s passenger side window.
When the vehicle finally stopped the driver attempted to flee on foot. Officers apprehended the driver a short distance from the crash site. Following a brief struggle, officers secured the suspect. He was identified as Hannibal Taft Ryan IV, 25, of Spencer. He was charged with fleeing with reckless indifference and fraudulent registration. Additional charges may be pending.
The passenger, identified as Haley J. Gibson, 23, of Frametown was also arrested and charged with obstructing an officer.
During their investigation, officers also discovered that Ryan had a warrant for his arrest in Roane County on charges of grand larceny and conspiracy to commit a felony stemming from an October 2021 incident in that county. That charges involved the theft of tools and a generator from a residence on Dessie Clem Road near the county line.
Ryan was arraigned before Braxton County Magistrate David Singleton before being lodged in the Central Regional Jail in lieu of a $25,000 cash only bond to await additional court proceedings.
Gibson was also arraigned before Magistrate Singleton where she was released on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond.
