A Minden City man led a local police chief on a several mile long chase that ended in a rollover accident and then a successful escape Thursday morning.
Minden City Police Chief Rodney Jaskowski reports he was conducting stationary radar in the village shortly before 6:00 a.m. on February 8 when a burgundy Avalanche failed to stop at a stop sign. Upon pulling the vehicle over for a traffic stop, the chief stepped out of his vehicle but didn’t make it past the hood of his patrol vehicle 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. Because of the darkness, the chief said the suspect was only visible for about 30 feet before he was out of sight and out of grasp.
With a search later conducted by Sanilac County Drug Task Force K-9 Unit, Sanilac County Sheriff Road Patrol and Deckerville Police, Chief Jaskowski will be forwarding an arrest warrant request to the Sanilac County Prosecutor for numerous charges. Additional assistance with this incident was provided by Sanilac County Central Dispatch, Bartnick Towing, Sanilac EMS and Sanilac County Animal Control.
