High-speed chase leads to prison sentence for Hillsboro man
A Hillsboro man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase out of the city limits in March has been sentenced to nine months in prison for failure to comply.
As previously reported, Tommy L. Brockman, 41, of Hillsboro was charged with failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, during the April 2023 Highland County grand jury session.
As reported by the Hillsboro Police Department, it was alleged that on Tuesday, March 14 at approximately 10:13 p.m., an officer with the Hillsboro Police Department attempted to make a traffic stop in the area of the 300 block of East Main Street.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Brockman, allegedly failed to stop, and a subsequent vehicle pursuit began, eventually leaving the corporation limit and ending on Beechwood Lane.
According to a bill of particulars, the officer was attempting to make a traffic stop in the city limits due to Brockman “exceeding the posted speed limit.” When the officer approached, Brockman “rapidly accelerated” on Chillicothe Avenue, then “traveled through several different streets within the city limits” — including Bowers Avenue, East Main Street, Barry Street, Monroe Street, Trenton Street and East Walnut Street, the bill of particulars says — “while disregarding all traffic control devices and speed limits.” That also included, at one point, driving into a residential yard.
It is alleged that Brockman continued out of the city limits eastbound on state Route 124, then turned onto North Shore Drive. After losing a tire and slowing down, officers attempted to “box in” the car to force Brockman to stop, but he proceeded to hit one patrol vehicle and attempted to hit another, the bill of particulars alleged. When the car eventually stopped on Beechwood Lane, Brockman then fled on foot.
Brockman pleaded guilty to failure to comply in May. He was sentenced July 5 to a definite determinate term of nine months in prison, with jail time credit of 44 days.
Brockman’s driver’s license will also be suspended for three years, effective July 5, 2023, according to court records.
He was admitted into the Correctional Reception Center in Orient on July 7.