Jasper police arrest Prius driver after long pursuit through city

Thursday evening, the Jasper Police Department arrested 27-year-old Cody Christensen after a nearly hour-long car chase involving a 2011 Toyota Prius.

The pursuit began at about 8:10 p.m. when a Jasper officer attempted to stop the Prius after observing it fail to yield the right of way turning from Newton Street onto Sixth Street. The Prius pulled into the Family Video parking lot where the officer attempted to initiate a stop but the car fled.

According to police, the driver exited the Family Video parking lot onto Fifth Street and immediately turned into the CVS parking lot and shot across Sixth Street through a red light and headed down MacArthur Street.

The Prius continued north to 13th Street where the officer lost contact with it.

A few moments later though, the officer spotted the car in the St. Thomas Medical Center parking lot at 600 W. 13th Street. But, when officers attempted to stop the car, the driver fled the parking lot by jumping the Prius off a four-foot retaining wall onto Bartley Street.

Officers said the impact of the car onto the street created divots in its surface.

Officers followed the Prius down Bartley Street back to Sixth Street and then to Dorbett Street. They continue to Wilson Street, turned on 14th Street, then on Roberts Street and back to 13th Street where the Prius ran a red light at the U.S. 231 intersection.

Officers lost sight of the vehicle near 13th and Franklin streets and called off the pursuit due to the aggressive driving behavior of the driver. Also, they had the vehicle’s plate number and an address for the owner of the car had been obtained.

Jasper officers and Dubois County deputies then went to 3997 W. 400 N., the address of Cody D. Christensen, 27, the registered owner of the Prius. Officer made contact with Christensen and positively identified him as the driver.

While at the residence, officers observed several drug paraphernalia items in plain view.

He was taken to Memorial Hospital where a blood draw determined his blood alcohol content was .11 percent. He also tested positive for THC.

Officers charged Christensen with a count of Level 6 felony operating while intoxicated, two counts of Level 6 felony resisting law enforcement with a motor vehicle, two counts of Level 6 felony operating while classified as a habitual traffic violator, one Level 6 felony count of possession of paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of a property damage accident, two Class B misdemeanor counts of criminal recklessness with a vehicle and two counts of Class B misdemeanor reckless driving.

He was also cited for multiple traffic violations.

The Prius was in pretty bad shape and may be considered a total loss, according to police.

He was booked into the Dubois County Security Center.

The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department and a Ruxer Ford wrecker assisted.