Men lead law enforcement on high-speed wrong-way pursuit on bypass

Two Alabama men suspected of breaking into and burglarizing cars at Geyser Falls Water Theme Park led law enforcement authorities on a high-speed chase into Philadelphia late Monday afternoon, officials said.

The driver, Oudious Sharpe, 30, of Fairfield, Ala., was charged with felony fleeing, aggravated assault on an officer, and felony child endangerment because young children were in the car.

A passenger, Justin Kevin Hayden, 35, of Birmingham, Ala., was being held on a felony fleeing charge.

Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark said Sharpe allegedly broke a  window and took a purse form a vehicle at Geyser Falls. 

He said Sharpe will face a charge of burglary of an automobile. Additional charges for Sharpe andHayden are possible as the investigation continues, officials said.

“We will have to determine his amount of knowledge and involvement through interviews,” Clark said.

Law enforcement tried to head off the vehicle in a roadblock at Cooper Williams Drive at Williamsville but the suspect driver got into the southbound lane going the wrong way barely missing several vehicles, a witness told the Democrat.

Lyons said that they had been advised about 4:45 p.m. Monday to be on the look out for a four-door maroon Buick in reference to a vandalism at Geyser Falls where individuals were seen breaking a window out of vehicle.

The vehicle failed to stop and began fleeing first traveling south on Highway 15.

The driver lost control just before Highway 485 and began traveling back into town where the driver rammed a police vehicle.

At Williamsville the driver began driving into oncoming traffic. The suspect vehicle drove the wrong way on the bypass northbound nearly causing several head-on collisions, officials and witnesses said said.

Officers were able to box the vehicle in on Highway 15 near the split where the road goes back into two lanes.

Lyons said the chase lasted about ten minutes.

Also in the vehicle were two small children under the age of 5 unrestrained.

The children were turned over to DHS.

Further investigation found a purse inside the vehicle that was allegedly taken from the vehicle at the water park where the call originated.

Charges are pending in the county in reference to that burglary. The Neshoba County Sheriffs Department assisted in the apprehension of the suspects, PPD said.

Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark said police officers and his deputies involved in the pursuit did a good job. The timing of the chase was dangerous as people were leaving work and many were headed out to the Fairgrounds, he said.

“There were a lot of people on the road,” Clark said.