According to the New Castle County Division of Police, officers conducted a vehicle pursuit late Friday night that ended with two men taken into custody following a foot chase and aerial search.
Police said that on Friday, January 2, 2026, at approximately 11:08 p.m., an officer on patrol observed an older-model blue-and-white two-tone Ford F-150 leaving a portion of the Whitehall development that is currently under construction. As the vehicle exited the area, the officer observed what police described as a traffic violation and activated emergency lights in an attempt to conduct a motor vehicle stop on Lorewood Grove Road.
According to police, the driver did not stop and fled at an unsafe speed. Officers reported briefly losing sight of the truck before another officer located it on Ratledge Road, where the driver again failed to stop and continued to flee. Police stated the vehicle ultimately entered the Crystal Run Farms neighborhood, where both occupants exited the truck and ran into a wooded area near the 100 block of Crystal Run Drive.
The Delaware State Police Aviation Section, operating Trooper 4, was requested to assist with an aerial search. Police said aviation crews located one suspect hiding in a wooded area near the railroad tracks. Officers converged on that location and took Eric Loudermilk, 46, of Elkton, Maryland, (L) identified by police as the driver, into custody. With continued aerial assistance, police reported that the passenger, Thomas Yates, 59, of Dover, Delaware, (R) was later located on the railroad tracks and taken into custody without further incident.
Police said Loudermilk was transported to headquarters and charged with felony disregarding a police officer’s signal, as well as misdemeanor counts including resisting arrest and conspiracy in the third degree, along with multiple traffic- and offense-related charges. Authorities reported he was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $2,005 secured bail.
According to police, Yates was also transported to headquarters and charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest, misdemeanor conspiracy in the third degree, and criminal trespass in the third degree. He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 and released after posting $1,001 unsecured bail.
All charges and allegations are based on information released by the New Castle County Division of Police.
