Saltillo man charged with felony fleeing
May 13—TUPELO — A Lee County man who fled an early morning traffic stop is now facing felony charges.
Tupelo police stopped a car around 12:30 a.m. May 11 on North Gloster Street at Blair Street for careless driving. While officers were talking with the driver, he placed the white Toyota Camry in drive and took off.
He headed west on West Main Street. Officers deployed spike strips in area of West Main Street and the Natchez Trace Parkway. The spikes deflated the tires causing the suspect to slow down. The driver still did not stop, continuing west on Main Street out of the city limits and into Pontotoc County. The car finally came to a stop near the Longview exit just east of Pontotoc.
Joseph Herndon, 44, of Saltillo, was taken into custody and transported to the Lee County Jail where he was medically cleared and incarcerated. There was no one else in the vehicle.
After reviewing the evidence, Herndon was charged with felony fleeing, as well as the misdemeanor charges of speeding, failure to yield, failure to maintain control and disregard of a traffic device.
During his initial appearance May 11, Tupelo Municipal Court Judge Jay Weir set bond at $20,000.
