Preliminary hearings are scheduled for today in Indiana County’s district courts, including one for a man charged with leading police on a chase through Indiana County last November.
35-year-old Terry Ely, Jr. of Westmoreland City faces four counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of accidents involving death or injury and DUI, and single counts of felony theft, flight to avoid apprehension, along with drug-related crimes and summary driving charges that were connected with an incident on November 5th. Troopers found Ely was wanted on a charge of driving on a suspended license and they tried to pull him over on Route 119 in Center Township. He then led police on a chase onto Old Route 119. After troopers lost sight of him, they came across his vehicle in a three-vehicle crash near Lockard Avenue Extension. After fleeing the scene, Ely allegedly stole an unlocked pickup dump truck. Police were able to follow him through a tracking device on the truck and found him at a home in Indiana Borough.
He remains in Indiana County Jail on $50,000 bail. Today’s hearing marks the fifth attempt at the preliminary hearing, as the previous four attempts were continued.
