FAYETTE COUNTY, Tenn. — Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers along with Fayette and Tipton County deputies scoured the country roads of Fayette County for a wanted man still wearing handcuffs.

James Skaggs escaped troopers Wednesday evening after they pulled him over for reckless driving on I-40 east near Stanton Road.

THP Sergeant Chris Richardson said the trooper handcuffed Skaggs while they ran his information and didn’t initially know he was wanted.

“Nothing had alerted us at the time that anything was wrong,” said Richardson.

Skaggs was in their system for a whole lot more than reckless driving.

“He knew he had warrants. We hadn’t found that out yet,” explained Richardson.

The warrants were out of Tipton County for theft, burglary and assault.

WREG traced his criminal history back to 2000 when investigators arrested him for multiple driving related incidences including reckless driving, reckless endangerment and speeding.

He has faced at least 25 charges and they kept getting more violent.

The latest included domestic assault, burglary and theft.

Richardson said Skaggs could be anywhere.

“I mean this is a lot of area around here. You’re talking a lot of rural area, a lot of farmland,” he said.

On Thursday, a homeowner believed she spotted him at her house on Sinai Road.

She immediately called deputies who said he escaped into some nearby woods.

THP and deputies are now combing the back country roads looking for Skaggs, who they said was still cuffed.

Wednesday night two choppers and several agencies searched the area as well.

Billy Gaines, who owned a taco stand at a truck stop off I-40 said he was aware Skaggs could be out here.

“Some guy in handcuffs is definitely going to stand out. I’m sure everybody is like me. They’ll make a phone call if they see him,” said Gaines.

Authorities do not believe Skaggs is armed but they urge anyone who sees him to immediately call law enforcement.