Warren County Sheriff’s Office stops wrong-way driver on Interstate 20

Published 9:28 am Tuesday, December 7, 2021

An Alabama woman was in custody Monday after she was caught driving the wrong way down Interstate 20 at a high rate of speed, evading sheriff’s deputies multiple times.

Just before 11 p.m. Sunday, Vicksburg-Warren E911 began receiving numerous calls reporting a vehicle traveling west in the eastbound lane of Interstate 20. According to the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the first calls came in from drivers at the 11-mile marker.

Once they heard the calls, Deputy Chreka Clark and Sheriff Martin Pace positioned themselves at U.S. 61 North and Interstate 20, in an attempt to stop the vehicle.

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Clark successfully stopped all eastbound traffic on Interstate 20, while Pace proceeded ahead in his vehicle and attempted to stop the vehicle, a Ford 500.

At about the seven-mile marker, the sheriff met the suspect’s vehicle traveling in the wrong direction. Pace attempted to stop the vehicle. At that point, the vehicle passed the sheriff and accelerated to an even higher speed.

At the U.S. 61 North exit, the vehicle went around Clark’s marked patrol car. At the on-ramp, the driver of the vehicle slammed on the brakes, did a U-turn and proceeded north on U.S. 61 in the appropriate lane of traffic.

Speeds reached approximately 90 mph as the vehicle proceeded north on U.S. 61, with officers in pursuit.

Sgt. Silento McMorris and Deputy Thomas McBride were positioned on U.S. 61 North in an attempt to disable the vehicle, but the vehicle sped past them.

Pace was able to get beside the vehicle as the suspect was traveling northbound, and McMorris got behind the suspect’s vehicle in an attempt to move it by the side of the road.

As they neared the Culkin exit off U.S. 61 North, the driver moved from the left lane abruptly to the right lane in an attempt to make a U-turn in the intersection of U.S. 61 North and Culkin Road.

Pace made contact with the vehicle with his patrol car, disabling the vehicle and stopping the fleeing individual, who was then taken into custody.

There was minor damage to the sheriff’s vehicle and the suspect’s vehicle. For that reason, Pace called in Mississippi Highway Patrol to complete an accident report.

The suspect, 37-year-old Alison Moody of Bay Minette, Ala., was charged with felony eluding. Warren County Judge Jeff Crevitt set her bond at $15,000.

The incident is still under investigation. According to Pace, it’s still unclear if the incident was an intentional act or if it was an accident. There were no injuries.

“It is evident that after she deliberately evaded not one, but two, emergency vehicles with lights activated, she knew she was going in the wrong direction,” Pace said. “This could have been a deadly situation, and it’s an example of why you should never assume the roadway in front of you is clear. I commend the drivers who were able to realize she was in the wrong lane and perform evasive maneuvers themselves.”