High Speed Chase Stretches Across 3 Counties
Thursday Cocke County deputies were involved in a high speed pursuit that stretched across 3 counties. It started when deputy Jacob Damron spotted a dark colored Chevy pull out in front of oncoming traffic almost causing an accident. The tag on that Chevy came back registered to a Ford. The vehicle then changed lanes and turned onto Old Hwy 411 without using a turn signal and began crossing double yellow lines. Damron attempted a traffic stop at that point, but the vehicle took off down old hwy 411 at a high speed, turned onto Upper Rinehart Road failing to stop at stop signs and almost causing an accident while crossing the new Hwy 411 before getting back on Upper Rinehart Road The driver then turned left onto Indian Creek Road in Jefferson County reaching speeds of 80 mph traveling towards oncoming traffic almost hitting another motorist head on. The vehicle turned left onto Chestnut Hill Road and eventually wound back up on Hwy 411, dodging in and out of traffic at speeds of close to 110 mph. Deputies terminated the pursuit at Walnut Grove Road in Sevier County out of concern for safety.
The Sevier County sheriff’s Department later notified Cocke County they had, along with other agencies, apprehended the driver on Robert Henderson Road in the parking lot of Blalock Construction. The driver was 39 year old Robert Webber of Newport. He was driving on a revoked license…the passenger was 38 year old Heather Verdier of Newport. A half empty bottle of liquor was found in her purse and Webber was found trying to hide a baggie containing 2 grams of heroin. When taken into the Cocke County jail, a several items fell out of Heather Verdier’s body cavity…that included Gabapentin, marijuana and a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. Both face schedule I narcotics charges and Webber faces a charge of evading arrest.