High-Speed Pursuit ends with spiked tires and an arrest in Kanawha County

High-Speed Pursuit ends with spiked tires and an arrest in Kanawha County

Kanawha County, WV – In the early morning hours of November 13, 2025, at approximately 4:30 a.m., a pursuit began on Elk River Road North in Clendenin involving a black Ford Mustang. A deputy initiated a traffic stop for defective equipment, and as the deputy approached the vehicle, the driver made a U-turn and took off, refusing to comply.

The driver fled south on Elk River Road at speeds reaching 115 mph. Deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office Field Operations C Shift successfully deployed spike strips, causing two of the vehicle’s tires to go flat. The driver continued for several miles before the vehicle became stuck on a dirt road in the area of Mountaineer Heights Drive in Pinch. The driver then fled on foot.  

Deputies pursued and quickly took the driver into custody, identifying him as James Howard Stump II. Stump was charged with felony fleeing with reckless indifference, and his bond was set at $5,000 cash.

Further investigation revealed that Stump’s West Virginia driver’s license is revoked for multiple infractions, and the vehicle’s registration was improper, belonging to a 2007 Chrysler.

Anybody that is arrested is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

#KCSO #KanawhaSheriff