BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Beckley man is facing multiple charges after police say he led officers on a high-speed pursuit through city streets before abandoning his truck and fleeing into the woods.
According to the Beckley Police Department, the incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on June 20, 2026, when an officer monitoring traffic on Virginia Street spotted a white Ford F-150 traveling on Ellison Avenue without its headlights. Police say the driver also rolled through a stop sign before turning onto Virginia Street.
As the officer attempted to catch up, the truck allegedly passed another vehicle by crossing double yellow lines. When emergency lights and sirens were activated in an attempt to initiate a traffic stop, the driver reportedly accelerated, leading officers on a pursuit through several Beckley streets.
Police say the truck traveled at a high rate of speed along Westwood Drive, Old Mill Road, Whitestick Street, Foothill Drive, Ridgepark Drive, and Old Eccles Road, at times crossing into oncoming traffic and failing to maintain its lane.
According to the report, as the truck approached the Arch Coal area on Old Eccles Road, the driver, identified as Jacob Hunter Rollins, allegedly jumped from the moving vehicle and ran down an old logging road.
Officers say Rollins was positively identified through previous law enforcement encounters and by officers who had observed him at a local Sheetz prior to the pursuit.
Police pursued Rollins on foot and repeatedly ordered him to stop, but he allegedly continued running into the wooded area. Officers eventually lost sight of him, and the foot pursuit was temporarily called off. Deputies with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office later responded and attempted to track Rollins, but the search was unsuccessful.
A subsequent records check revealed that Rollins was allegedly driving while his license was revoked for a previous DUI, with the revocation dating back to October 20, 2017, according to police.
The incident remains under investigation, and charges have been filed.
As with all criminal cases, the allegations contained in the complaint have not been proven in court, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
