May 9, 2016 2 min read

A Washington Township man is facing felony charges after allegedly stealing a construction vehicle Friday morning and driving it while drunk as police followed on foot during the slow-speed chase.

John Willis Teagarden, 52, of 614 Craynes Run Road, allegedly stole the crawler carrier from West Penn Energy shortly before 9 a.m. and started driving south down Craynes Run Road, according to court documents.

When two state police troopers ordered him to get out of the vehicle, which has long treads instead of wheels and a large dump compartment in the rear, Teagarden instead turned it around and started driving north in what turned out to be a slow-speed chase, police said.

One of the troopers tried to physically remove him from the vehicle, but he resisted, police said. When the other trooper used a Taser on Teagarden, he continued to drive north, the criminal complaint states.

Police continued to chase him as he drove the vehicle over a fence and 100 yards into a wooded area, where Teagarden got out of the vehicle and ran from troopers. Police arrested him soon after, according to court documents.

Teagarden was charged with theft, receiving stolen property, fleeing a police officer, driving under the influence, unauthorized use of an automobile, resisting arrest, criminal mischief and nine other traffic citations. He is being held at Greene County jail on $25,000 bond.