On March 26, around 10:18 a.m., the Martinsville/Henry County Communications Center received a report that a man was trespassing on private property located on Willie Craig Road, Bassett. Henry County Sheriff’s deputies responded and found a blue 2012 Nissan Sentra with a male driver parked in the driveway of the residence.
Deputies attempted to identify the driver, but allegedly were provided with a false name. When asked to provide his correct name, the driver allegedly put the car in reverse and struck a deputy’s vehicle before accelerating down Willie Craig Road. Deputies then pursued the vehicle from the Bassett area to the Mini Par Golf Range, located at 17935 A.L. Philpott Hwy., Martinsville.
The vehicle allegedly drove across the driving range and into a wooded area on the backside of the property where it crashed into a creek. The vehicle caught fire as deputies were extricating the driver. Deputies controlled the fire with fire extinguishers until members of the Horsepasture Volunteer Fire Department arrived and extinguished the blaze.
The driver received minor injuries, which authorities alleged were due to his erratic driving and subsequent crash. He was transported to SOVAH Health Martinsville for treatment.
He was identified as Jason Todd McKinney, 46, 170 Patti Road, Rocky Mount, Virginia.
McKinney had multiple outstanding warrants, including two felony probation violation warrants and two misdemeanor probation violation warrants from Henry County, as well as one felony and one misdemeanor probation violation warrant in Martinsville.
During the arrest, authorities alleged a substantial amount of suspected Fentanyl pills were located on McKinney along with an undisclosed amount of U.S Currency.
Due to the pursuit and narcotics seized, McKinney was charged with additional charges of false identification to law enforcement, felony eluding law enforcement and possession of a Scheduled I or II drug with intent to distribute.
McKinney is being held in the Henry County Adult Detention Center without bond.
The investigation is ongoing, anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at (276) 638-8751 or Crimestoppers at 63-CRIME (632-7463). The Crimestoppers Program offers rewards up to $2,500 for information related to crimes. The nature of the crime and the substance of the information determine the amount of reward paid.
