Man crashes stolen car at Chattanooga Volkswagen plant after chase, police say (video)

Chattanooga's Volkswagen plant
Chattanooga's Volkswagen plant
photo Jason Lee Hughes

A 35-year-old man led East Ridge police on a long chase early this morning that ended at Volkswagen when the man lost control of his vehicle and it rolled and ejected him.

The pursuit started on Connell Street in East Ridge after police responded to a routine call involving Jason Hughes but then realized part-way through the call that there was a discrepancy with Hughes' vehicle's registration.

When the officer confronted Hughes about the discrepancy, he pretended not to hear the officer and drove away, according to East Ridge Police.

Hughes then fled to Moore Road, Interstate 24 eastbound and Interstate 75 north, through parts of Chattanooga, Collegedale and Hamilton County until Hughes pulled onto Volkswagen's campus.

At that point, Hughes lost control of the vehicle, spun 180 degrees and stopped. When officer got out of his patrol car to apprehend Hughes, the man hit the gas and rammed his car into the officer's patrol car. The officer was uninjured but the pursuit began again.

It ended a short while later though, still on Volkwagen's campus, when the vehicle rolled and Huges was ejected, police said.

Hughes faces charges of aggravated assault on police, felony evading, theft over $1,000, reckless driving, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a revoked license. He is being held in the Hamilton County Jail on a $87,500 bond.

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