FLOYD COUNTY, KY. MAN, ALONG WITH FAYETTE COUNTY, KY. MAN, ARRESTED IN MAGOFFIN COUNTY, KY. ON METH TRAFFICKING AND OTHER CHARGES, AFTER 70 MILE POLICE CHASE THROUGH FIVE COUNTIES!

DRIVER OF VEHICLE FLEEING FROM POLICE HIT WITH A TOTAL OF EIGHTEEN CHARGES

MARCH 19, 2024 – written by WADE QUEEN

AUSTIN L. BLANTON (PHOTO top), 29, OF PRESTONSBURG, KY., & RICHARD BRANDON MULLIGAN (PHOTO bottom), 38, OF LEXINGTON, KY., WHO WERE ARRESTED BY KENTUCKY STATE POLICE FOR METH TRAFFICKING AFTER THEY LED COPS ON WILD 70 MILE, FIVE COUNTY CHASE BEFORE BEING FINALLY CAUGHT IN MAGOFFIN COUNTY.

Two men, one from Floyd County, KY., and the other from Fayette County, KY., were arrested near Salyersville, KY., after leading law enforcement agencies on both a high-speed, and at times very low-speed, chase for 70 miles across five counties.

The wild pursuit all began just after midnight Tuesday morning, March 12, when a Kentucky State Police trooper spotted a car weaving in and out of its lane near exit 94 on Interstate 64 at Winchester, in Clark County.

The trooper got behind the car, which was going 40 miles an hour on the interstate and still weaving in and out of its lane. When the trooper activated his lights to pull the car over, it continued down the interstate and onto the Mountain Parkway, continually changing lanes without signaling and driving at speeds ranging from 35 to 103 miles an hour.

The trooper wrote in his report that the two men in the car were constantly throwing items out of their windows during the entire pursuit, which lasted for 70 miles, going from Clark County,while going through Powell County, Wolfe County, Morgan County, and Into Magoffin County with several other police agencies joining in.

The chase finally ended when the car broke down near mile marker 68 in Magoffin County. Both men in the car, who were identified as Austin L. Blanton, 29, of Prestonsburg,KY., and Richard Brandon Mullins, 38, of Lexington, KY., were immediately arrested.

Kentucky State Police troopers found a large bag of meth in a bag that was spilling into the seat of the car, as well as scales and sandwich bags.

Richard Brandon Mullins was charged with:

• TRAFFICKING IN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE, 1ST OFFENSE – (> OR = 2 GRAMS METHAMPHETAMINE),
• DRUG PARAPHERNALIA – BUY/POSSESS,
• CRIMINAL LITTERING.

As the driver of the fleeing vehicle running from police, Austin L. Blanton was also charged with a heavy amount of offenses; 18 charges total in all; which are the following:

• SPEEDING 26 MPH OR > SPEED LIMIT, 
• *RECKLESS DRIVING ,
• *FLEEING OR EVADING POLICE, 1ST DEGREE (MOTOR VEHICLE),
• *OPERATING MOTOR VEHICLE UNDER/INFLUENCE SUBSTANCE(189A.010(1C) – 1ST OFFENSE (AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCES),
• *TRAFFICKING IN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE, 1ST OFFENSE – (> OR = 2 GRAMS METHAMPHETAMINE),
• *DRUG PARAPHERNALIA – BUY/POSSESS,
• *CRIMINAL LITTERING,
• *FAILURE TO WEAR SEAT, BELTS,
• *WANTON ENDANGERMENT-1ST DEGREE-POLICE OFFICER,
• *OPERATING ON SUSPENDED OR REVOKED OPERATORS LICENSE,
• *NO REGISTRATION RECEIPT,
• *NO REGISTRATION PLATES,
• *FAILURE TO PRODUCE INSURANCE CARD,
• *FAILURE OF NON-OWNER OPERATOR TO MAINTAIN REQUIRED INSURANCE/SECURITY, 1ST OFFENSE, 
• *FAILURE TO OR IMPROPER SIGNAL,
• *RESISTING ARREST,
• *NO BRAKE LIGHTS (PASSENGER VEHICLES),
• *IMPROPER OR NO WINDSHIELD.

Both Austin Blanton and Richard Brandon Mullins were transported to and were booked & lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville, KY., in Johnson County, where they currently remain incarcerated.