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Pursuit leads to fatal accident in Greene County

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October 26th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A high speed chase involving an erratic driver Tuesday night in northwest Jefferson, lead to two-vehicle crash that killed one-person and injured another. The Iowa State Patrol reports the driver of the vehicle being pursued, 18-year old Jonathan Dalton Bindel, of Jefferson, died in the crash. A passenger in the vehicle, 20-year old Miranda Sue Parris, also of Jefferson, was injured, and transported by Jefferson Rescue, to the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson. Both of the accident victims were wearing their seat belts.

Officials say Bindel’s 2006 Ford Taurus was being pursued by a State Trooper on westbound Highway 30 at around 11:30-p.m.  The Patrol says Bindel was driving erratically and at a high rate of speed. A Ford F-250 pickup driven by on-duty Jefferson Police Officer Heath Aaron Enns,  was traveling north on North Grimmell Road, and had turned east onto Highway 30 to assist with the pursuit, when Bindel drove into the eastbound lane of Highway 30.

The Patrol says Enns tried to avoid a head-on collision by driving onto the shoulder, but his pickup was hit by car, causing the pickup to spin around and enter the south ditch, before it rolled over and came to rest on its wheels. After the impact, the Taurus came to rest in the south ditch. Officials say Enns was not injured in the crash.