RICHMOND, Va. — A tracked armored military vehicle led police on a two-hour chase after it was stolen from Fort Pickett in Virginia Tuesday evening.
The incident began just before 8 p.m. Tuesday when an unidentified male drove the vehicle off the National Guard base.
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Police chased the vehicle, which drives on tracks like a tank, for about two hours at speeds as high as 40 mph, Virginia State Police said.
Bystanders captured the chase on social media:
This is INSANE! Someone has hijacked a “Tank-like” vehicle from Fort Pickett and just drove it by our apartment! This is on Broad Street in the Fan. pic.twitter.com/EYfhFux1dk
— Parker Slaybaugh (@ParkerSlay89) June 6, 2018
So someone stole a M113 from Fort Pickett, VA and currently on Interstate 95.
— usawtfm6 (@usawtfm6) June 6, 2018
Armored vehicle stolen from Fort Pickett that police chased accross central Virginia is stopped on Broad street between City Hall and Capitol Square pic.twitter.com/VZzPUWbUyR
— Ned Oliver (@nedoliver) June 6, 2018
Police told WWBT that there were no accidents associated with the chase.
It was eventually stopped around 9:40 p.m. and the driver surrendered.
Joshua Philip Yabut, 29, of Richmond, was charged with eluding police and unauthorized use of a vehicle, the Virginia National Guard said in a news release.
The Guard said the personnel carrier was driven away during routine training at Fort Pickett and has been returned to the base. The vehicle wasn’t equipped with any weapons, but Yabut had his personal weapon with him without any ammunition, the Guard said.
The Guard said Yabut is a first lieutenant assigned as company commander of the 276th Engineer Battalion and has more than 11 years of service. He deployed to Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009 with the Illinois National Guard.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Cox Media Group
