RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A soldier accused of stealing an armored personnel carrier from a National Guard base and leading police on a more than 60-mile (100-kilometer) chase was driving under the influence of drugs, Virginia State Police said Wednesday.
Joshua Philip Yabut, 29, of Richmond, was charged with eluding police and unauthorized use of a vehicle, the Virginia National Guard said in a news release.
The vehicle, which drives on tracks like a tank, was stolen Tuesday evening from Fort Pickett in Blackstone. Police chased it for about two hours at speeds as high as 40 mph (65 kph) before the driver stopped and surrendered near Richmond City Hall, state police said.
The Guard said the personnel carrier was stolen during routine training at Fort Pickett and has been returned to the base in Blackstone. The vehicle wasn’t equipped with any weapons, but Yabut had his personal weapon with him without any ammunition, the Guard said.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and declined to comment on a motive for stealing the vehicle, but said Yabut was under the influence of drugs when he was arrested.