Police chase, standoff, I-65 shutdown, woman charged with drunk driving

Indianapolis, Indiana – Following a police chase and standoff on I-65., on Friday night, a woman was preliminarily charged with two criminal offenses in Indianapolis.

According to Indiana State Police, a 37-year-old, Natash Townsley, faces charges of resisting law enforcement and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

All lanes on I-65 southbound just northwest of downtown were closed nearly two hours Friday night amid a large police presence. Traffic cameras of Indiana Department of Transportation showed a massive backup of traffic on the southbound lanes between Georgetown Road and Industrial Boulevard. Northbound traffic in that same stretch also was shut down for a time.

The interstate had reopened by 10 p.m. Friday.

At least a half-dozen police vehicles are seen from the traffic camera, and, at one point, a puff of smoke was visible as officers surrounded a vehicle.

Shortly after 6:30 p.m., troopers were called to a minor, rear-end crash on southbound I-65 near the Boone-Hendricks county line.

Townsley fled the crash scene in a tan Nissan Altima, which was later found on southbound I-65 near Lafayette Road in Indianapolis. Police initiated a pursuit at about 35 mph until the Altima became disabled from hitting a concrete median barrier twice.

Townsley refused to leave the car, leading to the standoff with state police and members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team.

The interstate was closed during the standoff.