Stolen vehicle leads law enforcement on chase

The Lewis County Sheriff Department received a call of a vehicle stolen from 412 Market on Linden Highway/Highway 412 West at 9:41 a.m. Thursday, February 18. Captain Matt Tiller was first on the scene, followed by Deputy Nick Reeves and Sheriff Dwayne Kilpatrick.

Cpt. Tiller spoke with the victim, Talford 'Jay' Anthony of Hohenwald, who stated that he filled his vehicle, a 1998 Chevrolet 1500 truck, with fuel and pulled up to the building, leaving the keys in it, doors unlocked and the vehicle running.

Deputies viewed security footage and saw a black VW Passat arrive at the store. A female (later identified as Brandi Taylor) got out and twice entered and returned from the store. As she got back into the Passat, another female (identified as Ashley Pratt) got out and got into Anthony's truck, leaving the parking lot east towards town.

The dispatch office was alerted and issued a BOLO for the stolen vehicle. A short time later at 10:34 a.m., off-duty Hohenwald Police Department Officer James Howard located the empty truck in the parking lot of Freedom Holy Temple on Buffalo Road and called dispatch.

A key holder was notified and came to the church to allow officers Reeves, Tiller, Kilpatrick and Lt. Kenny Prentice to view security footage. Video was clear enough to see the female get out of the truck and back into the Passat. The vehicle left the lot heading back toward town.

Dispatch was again notified and the owner of the truck came to re-claim his vehicle.

At approximately 11:20 a.m., Deputy Reeves was headed to the Sheriff's office to start a report when, after stopping at Nick & Bubba's to get a drink, he noticed the suspect vehicle traveling east on Summertown Hwy and merging onto Buffalo Road.

As Reeves headed after the Passat, the vehicle quickly turned left onto Spurgeon and stopped on a cross-over street between Spurgeon and Sycamore. Reeves' report states he stopped with the vehicle in sight and waited for back-up to arrive, noting at least three and maybe four people inside.

Only a minute later, Sheriff Kilpatrick, Cpt. Tiller and Lt. Prentice arrived and all exitted their vehicles. The car sped off, passing the Co-op and turning left onto Summerton Hwy. Reeves skidded off the icy roadway and Tiller came around to continue pursuit. The vehicle did not yield to lights and sirens. Hohenwald Police Department Officer Shane McKnight met the vehicle and the car swerved to attempt a head-on collision. McKnight went into the ditch to avoid a collision.

Officers lost contact for a few minutes until HPD Robbie Hooks saw the vehicle on Schubert Road at 11:50 a.m. travelling west towards Waynesboro Hwy./Highway 48 South. Deputy Dustin Carroll and Sgt. Tim Ramsey joined pursuit on Hwy. 48 and had visual. Deputy Reeves turnd from Wildcat Road and joined Cpt. Todd Laster travelling south on Hwy. 48 South.

Officers said the Volkswagen began to slow as it passed Brown Road about 10 miles from town. The vehicle finally came to a halt due to mechanical issues.

The driver was identified as Anthony Heighton, 43, of Nashville and is wanted out of the Nashville/Wilson County area. The female who stole the Chevrolet 1500 was identified as Ashley Pratt, 26, of Gallatin. The other passengers were Bryan Adam Lyle, 37, Nashville, and Brandi Marie Taylor, 37, Murfreesboro.

The Passat was cross-tagged and had been reported stolen out of Nashville.

All four were transported to Lewis County Jail for booking. Heighton, complaining of hip pain sustained in a car accident 2 months ago, was transported to Hickman County Hospital for treatment of a broken hip.

Heighton has been charged with reckless endangerment X3, reckless driving, evading arrest, driving on revoked/suspended/cancelled license, criminal responsibility, burglary of motor vehicle, and theft of property. His bond has been set at $101,000.

Pratt has been charged with theft of property and burglary of motor vehicle with bond set at $10,000. Taylor and Lyle are both charged with criminal responsibility with bond set at $1,000 each.