Therese Apel

Mississippi Clarion Ledger

A police chase that started in Louisiana at 2:50 p.m. Saturday and ended in Mississippi at 4:08 p.m. might be classified as a little unorthodox.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said Eddie Ray Dye, 52, of Tallulah, Louisiana, is charged with felony eluding in Mississippi and other charges in Louisiana after authorities say he took an agricultural open-top, grain-hauling 18-wheeler from his place of employment and ran with it.

Madison Parrish authorities called Warren County dispatch on Saturday to explain that they had tried to stop the 18-wheeler when it came up stolen, but Dye would not pull over. Instead he remained on I-20 east headed toward the Mississippi line. When he crossed into Mississippi, Warren County deputies and Vicksburg police picked up the chase.

The truck continued on to Hall's Ferry Road exit, continuing south through Vicksburg and into the county. When the chase left the city limits, Vicksburg police were called off.

The pursuit led out Hall's Ferry Road to where the suspect turned east on Gibson Road and traveled to the intersection of Mississippi 27 in the Tingleville community. During that time, deputies deployed spike strips which punctured the truck's front tires.

The 18-wheeler then turned north on 27, where Pace joined the pursuit, he said. He called for units farther north to block the major intersections and keep traffic from pulling into the path of the truck.

Meanwhile, the tires were steadily losing air, Pace said.

The chase crossed over I-20 and continued northbound to where 27 turns into U.S. 61, and both front tires on the truck were deflated and coming off the rims.

Pace said Dye kept driving on the metal rims at around 35 mph, but still refused to stop. Deputies had him hemmed in, and the then low-speed pursuit was joined by the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Issaquena County Sheriff's Office.

The chase finally ended in southern Issaquena County between the Warren County line and Valley Park when Pace got in front of the truck and stopped in the road. Dye slowed down and finally stopped, Pace said.

Dye was taken into custody without incident or injury, and the truck was returned to its owner.

“Our first goal is always the safety of the community, the safety of the officers and the safety of the person we’re trying to stop," Pace said. "This person obviously needed to be stopped because he was driving erratically in a large vehicle that could cause a lot of damage. We had to get him stopped as safely as possible, and I believe we did."

Dye was scheduled to appear in court on Monday. If he posts bond, he will be returned to Louisiana to face charges there, Pace said.

Contact Therese Apel at 601-961-7236 or tapel@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.