Stolen car chase leads to prison

An Appalachia man faces prison time for stealing a car, using it to run from police and driving under the influence of methamphetamine.

Brendon Austin Caige Hill, 19, was convicted Jan. 24 in Wise County Circuit Court of grand larceny of an automobile, felony eluding, driving under the influence of methamphetamine, obstruction of justice, hit and run and illegally possessing drug paraphernalia, according to Commonwealth Attorney Chuck Slemp.
Hill was sentenced to 14 years, with 11 years and 11 months suspended. He will be required to serve an active sentence of two years and one month, followed by 10 years of probation.

On May 22, 2019, the county Sheriff's Department received a report of a stolen car from the Appalachia area, according to Slemp. Deputy Ryan Adkins spotted a vehicle matching its tags and description near Wise. Adkins followed the vehicle onto Lake Street, where it pulled into the parking lot of a church.

As Adkins exited his vehicle, Hill speeded out of the parking lot and ran through a stop sign. Adkins pursued Hill onto Birchfield Road. At one point, Hill almost collided head-on with a school bus. Adkins finally rammed Hill's vehicle to keep Hill from hitting the school bus.

Hill “had slurred speech, bloodshot and glassy eyes, had urinated on himself, and appeared to be disheveled,” according to Slemp, and he admitted to smoking meth before driving the vehicle.
Adkins was assisted by other sheriff’s deputies, the Wise Police Department and Virginia State Police.

Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Sarah Childress prosecuted the case.

Hill remains in the custody of the Duffield regional jail.