Louisville man who led police in multi-county chase involving semi-truck arrested

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Kentucky State Police say they have arrested a Louisville man who initiated a pursuit while under the influence of heroin.

The chase began Sunday around 7:30 p.m. when the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office began pursuing a stolen Hyundai Elantra on Bluegrass Parkway, according to police. KSP was called to take over the pursuit when it reached I-65 North near Elizabethtown.

The chase didn’t last long on the interstate because the driver, Joshua Arledge, turned north on Joe Prather Parkway toward Radcliff. Arledge made it to Patriot Lane, where he stopped, got out of his car and began running.

Police say they were setting up a perimeter when they saw Arledge driving the truck. Another chase ensued, taking everyone back to I-65 North.

Scotty Sharp, public relations officer for KSP Precinct 4, said they treated the truck like any other car and set up cones near Shepherdsville and the 117-mile marker.

“It’s a big vehicle, but it’s going to be the same as any other vehicle. A tire deflation device was used and it worked at mile marker, I think 117, but even those aren’t foolproof,” Sharp said. “Vehicles can still drive sometimes.”

And so it did. The truck pulled off the interstate, into a business parking lot and drove onto East Blue Lick Road in Bullitt County.

The pursuit continued for a short time along East Blue Lick when the semi-trailer left the road and overturned in the woods.

Arledge was then taken to the hospital, ending one of the wildest chases police have ever seen.

“This is a first for me and probably most of the people involved. Whether it’s the troopers or a couple of local agencies, there were a couple of people involved, but I think it lasted about an hour, an hour and a half or something like that,” Sharp explained.

Police then arrested Arledge and took him to University of Louisville Hospital for treatment for ingesting “an unknown amount of a substance believed to be heroin.”

Sharp says the drugs increased anxiety and the threat of pursuit, and he’s glad no one was hurt.

“Of course, we are concerned about public safety, and our number one priority is keeping people safe, keeping motorists safe on the interstates and local roads,” Sharp said. “That’s the only thing we’re really concerned about.”

Arledge is currently being held at the Hardin County Detention Center.

KSP reported that Arledge will be charged with, among other things, fleeing and evading a crime, receiving stolen goods and theft over $10,000.

Agencies from Bullitt, Nelson and Hardin counties assisted KSP. The investigation is ongoing.

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