Man leads police on chase through three area cities

FAYETTEVILLE — Police say a man driving a stolen pickup led officers from three agencies on a chase Tuesday that began in Elkins, went through Fayetteville to Farmington, and ended in Fayetteville.

John Gaunt, 24, of 1808 W. Lawson St. in Fayetteville was arrested in connection with theft by receiving, fleeing, criminal mischief and more than a dozen misdemeanor traffic violations.

He was being held Wednesday in the Washington County Detention Center with no bond set.

The chase began around 4:30 a.m Tuesday when an Elkins police officer monitoring traffic in Elkins saw a black pickup driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to police reports.

The officer followed the pickup west into Fayetteville where it continued to speed. The driver turned the pickup’s lights off and on during the chase, and the officer used his lights and siren to warn other drivers, police said.

The chase continued as the pickup crossed Interstate 49 heading west, according to the reports.

The pickup turned south on Double Springs Road and east on Main Street in Farmington. Along the way, officers from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Farmington Police Department joined the chase.

The pickup headed back into Fayetteville on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard with four or five officers following. Fayetteville officers blocked intersections along the street. The pickup, which had lost its right rear tire and was driving on the rim, stopped on School Avenue.

Gaunt told officers he fled because the pickup was stolen.