An Athens man is facing seven charges after he took three different law enforcement agencies on a two-county chase Saturday, records show.

Limestone County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jonathan Hardiman said in his report he was on his way to a medical call at Mooresville Road and Alabama 20, with lights and sirens on, when he saw a gold SUV run the red light at U.S. 72 and Mooresville Road and turn south on Mooresville Road. Hardiman said he followed the SUV and saw it weave in and out of traffic and run a stop sign at Huntsville-Browns Ferry Road.

“I had dispatch contact the 911 center to see if there were any responders responding to the call that I was en route to,” Hardiman wrote. “I was thinking the vehicle in front of me was a responder going to the call.”

When dispatch said there were no responders headed to the call, Hardiman said he sped up, catching up with the vehicle near Garrett Road. At that point, the SUV, driven by 33-year-old Zachary Kim Pressnell, slowed slightly before going over train tracks and becoming airborne, with all four tires clearing the road, Hardiman said.

“I realized that the subject was running from me, thinking I was after him. I got close enough to read his tag and ran it through dispatch,” Hardiman said.

Spike strips

Meanwhile, Pressnell neared the Interstate 565 exit, where he entered oncoming traffic to avoid two vehicles and ran a third off the road. Hardiman said he had dispatch alert Huntsville Police Department as he continued to chase Pressnell eastbound on I-565. The SUV’s front tire blew during the chase, but Pressnell continued anyway at speeds of 80 to 85 mph, Hardiman said.

“As we were approaching Governors Drive, HPD had units on the on-ramp to I-565 from Governors Drive with spike strips,” Hardiman said. “The subject saw them and turned into the grass median and went up the embankment onto Governors Drive. I followed the subject and realized we were traveling the wrong way down a four-lane road.”

Climbs rooftop

Hardiman said Pressnell made his way to Jordan Lane and then into a residential neighborhood, where he abandoned the SUV, jumped a fence and fled on foot. An Alabama state trooper later found Pressnell on top of a house, Hardiman said.

“The trooper advised me that when the subject realized he had been noticed, he jumped off the roof and was attempting to flee again. The trooper deployed his Taser, taking the subject into custody,” Hardiman said.

Pressnell is charged with attempt to elude by motor vehicle, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, reckless driving, running a red light, improper lane use and driving on the wrong side of the road. He was transported Saturday to the Limestone County Jail, where he was released Monday on a $5,000 bond.