A LaGrange woman stole a county road department truck Thursday morning on Maley Road, leading to a chase that ended on West Lukken Industrial Drive after “stop sticks” flattened the right tires and a state trooper did a pit maneuver.

The suspect, Jane Richards Sargent, 56, of Woodfield Circle was taken to West Georgia Medical Center for evaluation. She faces charges of motor vehicle theft and various traffic offenses.

State trooper Will Tatum said the deaf woman was believed to be under the influence of prescription medicine.

Road department foreman Ricky Hacker said she had been walking along Maley Road and talking to herself while carrying a long wooden fork similar to those that pizza restaurants use. He called 911 at 8:28 a.m. to have sheriff’s deputies check on her.

About five minutes later, she got into the county truck and backed into some trees.

“She was stuck then, but kept gunning it and shot out of there,” he said.

Sheriff’s deputy Roland Daniel, who was on his way to see about the woman, had just driven onto Maley Road when he got the call about the theft of the 1999 Ford F-150 pickup.

The deputy and Hacker followed at speeds up to 60 miles per hour as she drove onto Pyne Road, Upper Glass Bridge Road, through Woodfield subdivision, back onto Glass Bridge, then West Point Road and finally West Lukken Industrial Drive.

Sheriff’s Capt. Keith Flory put stop sticks in front of the city utilities center, flattening the stolen truck’s two right tires. The chase ended about a half-mile later after Tatum did the pit maneuver.

“I got her to unlock the door and placed her on the ground,” Tatum said. “She didn’t fight.”

There were no injuries and only slight damage to both vehicles.

“I was hoping she wasn’t going to kill anybody or herself,” Hacker said. “It’s a miracle she didn’t.”

Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.