Montgomery County – This morning, just before 10:30 a.m., Trooper Alaina Thomen was patrolling Interstate 74. Trooper Thomen stopped a 2017 Ford F-150 on the eastbound exit ramp from Interstate 74 to State Road 25 for traveling in excess of 100 mph. The driver of the F-150 was later identified as Keshawn Cotton, 18, from Danville, IL. As Trooper Thomen approached the F-150, Cotton fled at a high rate of speed. Trooper Thomen pursued the F-150 southbound on State Road 25 before losing sight of it near Union Street in Waynetown.
Shortly after losing sight of the F-150, dispatch received a phone call that a vehicle matching the description of the F-150 was at the intersection of Union Street and Centerville Road in Waynetown. Officers quickly converged in the area and located the F-150, which was crashed into a tree and abandoned. Officers on the scene set up a perimeter and later located Cotton. Cotton was safely taken into custody and transported to Montgomery County Jail.
Further investigation revealed Cotton provided Trooper Thomen with a false name, and the F-150 was reported stolen from Chicago, IL.
Arrested and preliminary charges:
- Keshawn Cotton, 18, Danville, IL
- Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle – Level 6 Felony
- Theft of a Vehicle – Level 6 Felony
- False Informing – Class A Misdemeanor
- False Identifying Statement – Class A Misdemeanor
- Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Crash – Class B Misdemeanor
- Reckless Driving – Class C Misdemeanor
Trooper Thomen was assisted by Troopers from the Lafayette Post, Indiana State Police CSI, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Fountain County Sheriff's Office, Crawfordsville Police Department, and Froedges Towing.
All criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.