On Tuesday, July 30, at approximately 7:03 a.m. the Buckingham County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to an occupied vehicle at the intersections of Oak Hill Road and Mohawk Road in the Buckingham Courthouse area.

According to Investigator Brent Uzdanovics with the Buckingham Sheriff’s Office, when deputies arrived on the scene they found the occupant, Steven Lee Tyree, age 38, unresponsive behind the wheel. “Deputies took Mr. Tyree into custody under suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and transported him to Centra Southside Community Hospital in Farmville for a blood withdrawal,” said Uzdanovics.

After completing several medical procedures, Tyree escaped from the custody of the Buckingham Sheriff’s Office deputy and ran behind the hospital at approximately 11:19 a.m.

According to the Farmville Police Department, they received a call from the Buckingham County Sheriff’s Office requesting assistance in locating Tyree.

Both Farmville Police Department and Longwood University Police Department worked together to locate the individual. “Farmville put a call out to their units on the radio, and we listen to that channel because we work closely together and our officers on duty went to assist Farmville Police,” said, Assistant Vice President of Communications with Longwood University Matt McWilliams.

The individual was captured at 11:27 a.m. by a Longwood University Police Officer. According to Longwood Police Department Lieutenant Stewart Raybold, Tyree was captured on property behind the hospital just off Oak Street hiding in a bush.

“Mr. Tyree was then remanded into the custody of Piedmont Regional Jail awaiting a future court date,” said Uzdanovics

Tyree has been charged with driving or operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of a narcotic drug, possession of a controlled substance classified as a schedule I or II, possession of marijuana, obstruction of justice and escape from custody.