Bath Pursuit Leads To Charges

A vehicle pursuit in Bath County over the weekend ended with damaged cars and the suspects in custody.

According to a release from the Virginia State Police, at approximately 2:50 p.m., Saturday (Oct. 28), Master Trooper T.A. May responded to a suspicious vehicle call on Route 600 in Bath County. The trooper activated his emergency lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle, which matched the description of a stolen vehicle. The vehicle refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated.

The suspect vehicle fled to a campground near Lake Moomaw. When it came upon a dead end, the suspect vehicle struck the trooper’s patrol car. The pursuit continued onto Route 603 where the suspect vehicle again struck the trooper’s patrol car. The impact of this crash caused the suspect vehicle to crash into a bridge

The driver, Kristopher J. Wingfield, 27, of Crewe, Va., and his passenger, Nichole L. Love, 24, (address unknown), were apprehended at the scene without further incident. Both were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

They are both now being held at the Alleghany Regional Jail in Covington, Va., on multiple charges in Bath County and outstanding warrants in numerous other jurisdictions. . During the course of the investigation, illegal drugs were recovered from inside the vehicle. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Augusta County.

In Bath County, state police charged Wingfield with 1 felony count of eluding police; 2 counts of assault on a police officer using a vehicle; 1 count of intentional destruction of property; 1 count of driving on a suspended license; 1 count of possession of illegal narcotics; 1 count of theft of a vehicle; 1 count of breaking and entering. Love was charged with 1 count of theft of a vehicle and 1 count of breaking and entering.

Trooper May was not injured during the course of the pursuit or crashes. The incident remains under investigation.