Hopewell man lands in jail for 15 months after leading high speed chase in New Kent County

A Hopewell man led police on a chase through the Providence Forge area of New Kent County will spend the next 15 months in jail.

Joshua John Scott, 34, of the 100 block of Weston Circle, entered guilty pleas to one count each of felony eluding of police, felony hit and run, and felony destruction of property as part of a plea agreement reached Monday afternoon in New Kent Circuit Court. One charge of possession of a Schedule I/II drug was dropped as part of the agreement.

In a summary of evidence provided by New Kent Commonwealth Attorney Scott Renick, on Mar. 28, a Virginia State Trooper noticed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed traveling westbound on Route 60 (Pocahontas Trail). The officer initiated emergency equipment in an attempt to pull the vehicle over, but the car accelerated.

A pursuit began with the driver of the fleeing car traveling at a high rate of speed through the intersection of Pocahontas Trail and Courthouse Road (Route 155). The vehicle made a U-turn in the median just before the intersection of Pocahontas Trail and Roxbury/Emmaus Church Road (Route 106). As more police cars joined the pursuit, the driver, later identified as Scott, hit a Virginia State Trooper vehicle before his car ran off the side of the road. Scott attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended shortly afterwards by the authorities.

Under the plea agreement, Scott received a five-year sentence with three years, nine months suspended on the felony eluding of police conviction (one year, three months to serve). All 10 years on the felony hit-and-run and all five years on the felony destruction of property convictions were suspended.