Arrest made in Friday morning pursuit

WINFIELD, W.Va. — A South Charleston man is behind bars after he refused to pull over for deputies and led law enforcement from numerous agencies on a high speed chase across two counties early Friday morning.

Rapheal J. Ray is lodged in the Western Regional Jail facing charges of fleeing with reckless indifference, obstruction, speeding, and improper registration.

According to Putnam County deputies,  as they returned from the Western Regional Jail around 1 a.m. Friday, they observed Ray’s red sedan travelling in excess of 100 miles an hour and weaving in and out of traffic. Deputies gave chase, but say Ray refused to stop.

The pursuit crossed Putnam County on I-64 eastbound at a high speed including a pass through the construction zone at the Nitro Bridge and St. Albans exit. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department had a deputy working the traffic detail there who advised construction crews to clear the area until the chase passed. The pursuit finally ended at the Montrose Exit of I-64 where South Charleston Police used stop sticks to disable the vehicle.

According to Putnam County Sheriff Bobby Eggleton when asked why he refused to stop, Ray said only he did not want to get a ticket.

Nobody was hurt and officers from the Hurricane, Nitro, Dunbar, South Charleston, and Charleston police departments along with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department provided assistance in the pursuit.