Man faces several charges after lengthy pursuit

PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A man is facing a long list of charges after leading police on a high-speed chase that at one point blew past a stopped school bus, deputies say.

Just after 3 p.m. Thursday, a deputy tried to pull over a vehicle driving on state Route 62 -- traveling from Eleanor toward Buffalo in Putnam County.

The deputy said when he turned on his lights, the driver took off -- passing other drivers on a double line and going 90 mph in a 55 zone.

The deputy said the suspect nearly hit another driver head-on. Investigators say, at the Buffalo Bridge intersection, the suspect ran a red light, crossing the bridge and then turning south onto Winfield Road.

Reaching nearly 100 mph, investigators say the driver went past a school bus dropping kids off, and one child ran for safety.

The chase eventually made it through rural roads -- ending when Hurricane Police eventually used spike strips to deflate the driver’s tires in someone’s yard at the Poplar Hills subdivision.

James Mullins, the driver, was arrested and charged with DUI and endangering his passengers, among several other things.