SIDNEY — Bond was set at $250,000 each for the defendants from Monday night’s high speed chase and shooting when they appeared in Sidney Municipal Court Wednesday morning.
Travis Ray Wickline, 28, of Charleston, West Virginia, was charged with felonious assault, attempted murder, kidnapping, grand theft auto, weapons under disability and failure to comply with the order or signal of an officer. He was arrested around 4 a.m. Tuesday after a manhunt.
Ashley Nichole Wayson, 31, of Charleston, West Virginia, was let out of the vehicle during the incident and taken into custody. She was charged with obstruction of justice. Shelby County Prosecutor Tim Sell said in court Wednesday, she was questioned and provided false information about the identity of Wickline for several hours, allowing him to be on the run for longer, before finally complying. He asked for the same bond to be set in her case, calling them a “match set.”
Both Wickline and Wayson have outstanding warrants from West Virginia. Wickline’s warrant is for aggravated assault with a weapon. Wayson’s warrant is for conspiracy to deliver controlled substance. Both subjects’s warrants stated use extreme caution and they were considered armed and dangerous.
For their cases from this incident, and coinciding extradition cases, their bonds were set at $25o,000 for each case to be paid cash or surety.
The incident began at 11:05 p.m. Monday when the Sheriff’s Office received a call from a woman stating she had been carjacked by a male yielding a firearm. The subject, who as later identified as Wickline, fled the area in the stolen 2005 Toyota Camry.
As deputies were responding to the call, Deputy Joel Howell spotted the stolen vehicle in the 5000 block of state Route 29. Howell conducted a felony traffic stop due to the brandishing of a firearm in the carjacking. As Howell ordered the driver to show his hands and open the car door, the drive then exited the vehicle and started shooting at Howell. Wickline fired six shots at Howell, who re-positioned himself and returned fire, shooting at the vehicle three times.
Wickline then fled eastbound on state Route 29 in the stolen vehicle.
The pursuit continued for approximately 10 minutes, at times, the fleeing vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 mph. Wickline struck Deputy Frank Bleigh’s cruiser, disabling it. Bleigh was injured in the crash and was transported to the hospital.
Near this time he stopped and let Wayson out of the vehicle. Wickline continued westbound on state Route 29 eventually going off the south side of the road and purposely driving the vehicle into the woods. He then fled the area on foot.
After questioning Wayson they determined where they had been staying, and found Wickline at that residence, taking him into custody.
These cases will be bound over to Shelby County Common Pleas Court where a formal indictment is expected next week. Both are being held in the Shelby County Jail.
