Sanilac County authorities have identified the suspect at the heart of a wild police chase and eventual car crash almost two weeks ago.
Freddie Lee Mattox, age 47 of Minden City, has had four charges added since his escape from Minden City Police Chief Rodney Jaskowski on February 8. The four charges, which includes two misdemeanors and a felony charge each of fleeing from police and resisting police, are in addition to three parking infractions he was charged with after the incident.
The chase began after a burgundy Avalanche failed to stop at a stop sign while Chief Jaskowski was conducting stationary radar in the village. Upon pulling the car over for a traffic stop, the chief stepped out of his vehicle but didn’t make it past the hood of his patrol car before the truck sped off, heading west on Bay City Forestville Road at a believed rate of over 115 mph.
The suspect vehicle slid sideways as it turned onto Verona Road, heading southbound along the gravel roads, reaching speeds up to and exceeding 95 mph as the chief followed. The pursuit continued for several miles until the suspect lost control of his vehicle, striking an embankment, becoming airborne and then striking an electric pole and fiber optic box. The car then rolled twice before coming to rest on its roof.
Despite the accident he was just involved in, the 47-year-old driver slipped through a small window area at the side of his vehicle. Ignoring commands to stay down, the man ran towards a vacant house and a wooded, swampy area, with the chief losing sight of the man quickly.
The chief reports that Mattox was involved in a similar incident last December when he crashed into another vehicle and totaled his vehicle before running from police. Due to this incident, Mattox’s license had been revoked prior to the Minden City traffic stop.
The chief reports that he has received numerous tips about the suspect’s whereabouts, as well as information about people helping Mattox evade police. He noted via press release that when enough information is gathered, charges will be requested against these individuals, as their actions constitute aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice.
Currently, the investigation remains open.
