JEFFERSONVILLE – Saturday, April 4, a Clark County man was arrested after leading Indiana State Police Troopers on a brief pursuit in Clark County.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday, Trooper Carson Thomas attempted to stop a silver Dodge Ram pickup truck in Jeffersonville after observing multiple traffic violations. Trooper Thomas reported seeing the vehicle cross the center line on westbound 10th Street near Mechanics Street, then abruptly swerve back to avoid an oncoming car. He also reported observing the truck traveling 42 mph in a 35‑mph zone.
When Trooper Thomas initiated a traffic stop, the driver initially came to a stop at the red light at 10th and Spring Streets. Moments later, the driver accelerated rapidly, fleeing south toward the I‑65 southbound entrance ramp. As the pursuit continued, Trooper Thomas executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver, causing the truck to spin off the right side of the ramp. The driver, later identified as 33‑year‑old Victor Diaz Jr. of Jeffersonville, regained control and drove down the ramp in the wrong direction before turning onto Spring Street and continuing to travel against the flow of traffic. During this time, Diaz nearly struck multiple motorists and a Jeffersonville Police patrol vehicle responding to assist.
Trooper Thomas pursued the vehicle as it entered Court Avenue, where Trooper Wyatt Madden joined the pursuit. Trooper Madden conducted a second PIT maneuver, allowing Trooper Thomas to block the vehicle and take Diaz into custody.
Following the stop, Trooper Thomas initiated an operating while intoxicated investigation. Diaz was medically evaluated at Norton Clark Hospital and then transported to the Clark County Jail. He faces preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, a Level 6 felony; criminal recklessness with a vehicle, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a vehicle while intoxicated – endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor; criminal mischief, a Class A misdemeanor; and reckless driving, a Class C misdemeanor.
