Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, August 28, 1993                   TAG: 9308280470
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

OFFICER HIT DURING CAR CHASE

Madison Allen Linkous Jr., 63, of Oil Well Road in Merrimac, was charged with malicious wounding.

Sgt. Harrison Vaughan was saved from serious injury by the air bag in his cruiser.

Linkous also was charged with attempted malicious wounding, reckless driving, attempting to elude police and four counts of hit-and-run.

Deputy Danny Stump of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said he began following the car just before 9 a.m. Friday after it passed him on South Main Street near Lake Terrace Motel. Stump estimated the car was being driven at speeds of 70 to 80 mph.

"He was really flying," the deputy said.

Stump pursued the car onto Hightop and Merrimac Roads and wound back toward Blacksburg and Prices Fork Road for about four miles.

Stump said the car ran off the road several times and almost struck another car on Merrimac Road.

The car ran a stop sign at Merrimac and Prices Fork roads, Stump said, then swerved near a Blacksburg police car driven by Lt. Kim Crannis. Crannis said the car attempted to ram the police cruiser but she backed out of the way, then joined Stump in the pursuit.

The car's driver ran a traffic light at Plantation Road, driving between two lanes of traffic and striking four cars that were stopped for the light, police said.

The car's left front tire blew out.

Vaughan had his police car in a left-turn lane near the Virginia Tech Anaerobe Laboratory - facing the approaching pursuit - and it was struck by the speeding car.

The pursued vehicle "just made a straight beeline for his car," Crannis said.

She estimated the vehicle was traveling at 60 mph when it struck Vaughan's cruiser.

Capt. William Brown said Vaughan's first words when he got out of the car were: "I tell you one thing, those air bags really work."

Thanks to the protection of the air bag, Brown said Vaughan sustained only a sore back and stiff neck, scrapes and abrasions.

Linkous also sustained minor injuries - include a laceration to his nose - and was treated then released from Montgomery Regional Hospital.

Linkous told police "he just wanted to drive fast," Brown said.

Linkous was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond Friday night.