Wanted man arrested after police chase on U.S. 460

Jonathan Fitzgerald was wanted out of Amherst County

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Bedford Police Department released new information about what led to a police on Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly before 4 p.m., an officer attempted to stop at 2001 Chevy Suburban being driven by a man matching the description of a wanted man out of Amherst County, according to police.

The vehicle was registered to Jonathan Fitzgerald, which matched the name of the name of the wanted man.

The officer activated his emergency equipment in the 3000 block of Falling Creed Road; however, Fitzgerald refused to stop, which forced officers from multiple jurisdictions to get involved in the attempt to apprehend him, according to police.

The Suburban drove east along Route 460 at speeds about 10-15 miles per hour above the posted speed limit.

Eventually, Fitzgerald lost control of his vehicle and ended up in the center media of Route 460, just east of the Wards Road exit where he was taken into custody.

Bedford police arrested Fitzgerald on the following charges:

  • Four counts of violating the provision of a protective order
  • Two counts of disseminating inappropriate video or still images
  • One count of possession of a Schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance
  • One count of failing to stop for a law enforcement officer

He is currently being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Bedford and and additional charges could be pending.


Original story

There were a large number of officers responding to a scene in Lynchburg on Wednesday evening.

Officers were gathered around a car that appeared to be crashed into a median on Route 460 near Liberty University and Wards Road.

Bedford Police Chief Todd Foreman said that one of his officers was involved in a chase of some kind, but didn’t elaborate on specifics.

It’s not clear what the police chase was about.

Lynchburg police say they were assisting the Virginia State Police, Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and Campbell County Sheriff’s Office with this incident, but did not comment on specifics.

This is a developing story. Stay with 10 News for updates.


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