An Orange County man is accused of trying to kill a Stafford County woman in Culpeper, then leading an 18-mile high-speed chase into Spotsylvania County.

Thomas Stephanos Visikides, 25, of Lee Court in Orange also is charged with stalking and two counts of felony eluding. A companion, 21-year-old Melissa Tompkins of Bealeton, is charged with throwing a beer bottle at Visikides’ former girlfriend.

The incident began about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at a stoplight at the intersection of James Madison Highway and Blue Ridge Avenue on the outskirts of the town of Culpeper, according to Culpeper police Lt. Pat Coffey.

Tompkins is accused of getting out of Visikides’ vehicle and hurling a beer bottle that struck Jean Gregury’s car.

Minutes later, town police stopped Visikides’ vehicle on Blue Ridge Avenue, arrested Tompkins and warned Visikides not to follow Gregury again, Coffey said.

After Tompkins was taken away, police say, Visikides followed Gregury south on James Madison Highway until she turned into the Holiday Inn parking lot.

There, Visikides is accused of ramming his ex-girlfriend’s 1994 Honda at least twice on the driver’s side with his Cadillac Escalade.

Gregury, who lives in Stafford, escaped through the passenger door and ran into the motel to call police.

Visikides left the scene, Coffey said, and a lookout was issued to law enforcement officers in the area. Culpeper County sheriff’s Deputy David Payne was working a stationary radar post near the Luck Stone quarry entrance on State Route 3 at Stevensburg when he spotted the Escalade, according to Culpeper sheriff’s Sgt. Verne Fox.

Payne followed the vehicle, but was waiting for backup before attempting to stop the car because the police alert had indicated the suspect might be armed.

When Payne turned on his siren and lights at the beginning of the four-lane highway at Lignum, the Escalade sped up, Fox said.

Fox said the driver ran lights at Lake of the Woods and at the intersection with State Route 20, and is accused of forcing a vehicle off the road at Lake of the Woods. Virginia State Police Sgt. Les Tyler attempted to set up a rolling roadblock at McLaws Drive in Spotsylvania County, but the Cadillac—weaving in and out of traffic at speeds of up to 110 mph—managed to elude him.

Spotsylvania deputies set up spikes at Harrison Road, and both front tires on the car were deflated when it passed through, Tyler said. The car kept going on the front rims at speeds of 40 mph, Fox said.

Spotsylvania deputies placed a second set of spikes at Old Plank Road, and blew out the Cadillac’s rear tires, Tyler said. The vehicle continued, even though its speed was down to about 10 mph.

Finally, a rolling roadblock was set up at Chewning Lane and the vehicle stopped. Visikides was arrested without incident, Tyler said. No gun was found, police said.

Visikides is charged with felony eluding in both Orange and Culpeper counties and attempted murder and stalking in the town of Culpeper. He is being held in the Culpeper County Jail without bond.

To reach DONNIE JOHNSTON: DJohn40330@aol.com