News Staff Report
An Atmore man was finally taken into custody in the early hours of May 17 after he led police in four Baldwin County jurisdictions on a chase at speeds that at times exceeded 100 miles per hour and during which he ran over a female and tried to run over a Loxley police officer.
According to published reports, the chase began around 1 a.m. when police in Robertsdale tried to pull over a speeding pickup that was driven by Dalton Ryan Walker, 21, of a Madison Lane address in Atmore. Walker reportedly sped away, with officers in hot pursuit.
The chase started on Highway 59, then went west on Highway 104 to northbound 181. Police reports indicate that a female passenger jumped from the truck and was run over by the rear tires as Walker neared the intersection of 181 and County Road 64.
Robertsdale police called off the chase at that point, calling a medical evacuation helicopter to help the injured female, who was airlifted to an area hospital for treatment of broken ribs and other injuries. At last report, the unidentified woman remained in the hospital in stable condition.
Loxley police picked up the chase as Walker sped through Loxley and into the Rosinton community. He eventually turned onto a dead-end road and onto private property where police said he tried to run over an officer who had gotten out of his vehicle with his gun drawn.
The Atmore man reportedly crashed his truck into a fence and a stand of palm trees, causing it to roll back into a police vehicle. At that point he was taken into custody.
Walker was the subject of at least two outstanding felony warrants in Escambia County, Ala., which apparently is why he ran. Police said he was also driving with a revoked license. He now faces a slew of new charges, including attempted aggravated assault, attempting to elude officers and reckless endangerment.