A Fairhope man is facing charges after a police pursuit ended with his vehicle striking a power pole and a natural gas valve.
Just before midnight Saturday, officers attempted to pull over 33-year-old Joseph Lineberry on State Highway 59. Police said Lineberry refused to stop, leading to a pursuit. The suspect crashed near Abby Lane, causing a gas leak and a live electrical line hazard.
That’s when police said citizens attempted to render aid, which presented another potential hazard.
“Although we appreciate the heroic actions of citizens and sometimes off duty first responders, we ask that no one, especially while in plain clothes, go rushing into unknown situations such as this to render aid when the police have it surrounded or are already on scene,” police said in a statement. “There may be potential threats that are unknown or unseen to the public, and we never want a case of mistaken identity.”
First responders arrived at the scene and were able to extricate Lineberry. He was transported to Baldwin Health with non-life-threatening injuries.
Lineberry has since been placed in jail and is facing charges of DUI and felony eluding law enforcement officers. Investigators said Lineberry was wanted by several other agencies on misdemeanor charges, including attempting to elude, third-degree assault, domestic violence and other offenses.
Police called Lineberry’s actions reckless. First responders and utility workers were called to the scene to secure the power and repair a gas leak. Foley police thanked the Gulf Shores Police Department, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Foley Fire Department, Medstar, Baldwin EMC and Riviera Utilities for their response.
“We would also like to ask for those who may have witnessed the events of last night to reach out to the Foley Police Department to further aid our active investigation,” said police.
Police urged citizens to evaluate all scenarios cautiously before attempting to intervene.
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