A Troy man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with Escape in the third degree, a Class C felony.

Joseph Thomas Carroll, 29, was also charged with reckless endangerment and attempt to elude. He also had a previous warrant for contempt of court.

Troy Police Chief Randall Barr said that the department received a complaint around 8 p.m. on Tuesday about a reckless driver on U.S. Highway 231.

When officers made contact with the vehicle, Barr said, they noticed that it did not have a license plate.

“We initiated a traffic stop for no tag near Hunter’s Mountain Parkway,” Barr said. “The driver was identified as Joseph Carroll, who we had warrants on for contempt of court.”

Barr said that the officers got Carroll out of the vehicle to place him under arrest for the warrants and noticed that there were two small children in the vehicle.

Carroll then pulled away from officers and made it back inside the truck and sped off, prompting a vehicular pursuit.

However, when Carroll exited off of the highway onto US-29, Barr said a supervisor called off the pursuit due to concerns about the children’s safety.

Later that night, officers went to an address that they had for Carroll.

“Our primary concern was the welfare of the children,” Barr said. “When you terminate a pursuit, just because we stop doesn’t mean the suspect stops. We just wanted to ensure that those children were safe.”

Barr said that the children were found safe at the residence with another adult, and that Carroll was arrested at the scene.

Carroll was processed and held in the Troy City Jail overnight and was then transferred to the Pike County Jail. He is being held on $2,500 bond for the felony charge and $1,000 for each misdemeanor charge.