The incident which led to his arrest began at around 5:30-p.m., Tuesday, when a police officer attempted to pull Erwin over as he was driving a 1995 GMC Jimmy with no plate, in Missouri Valley. Erwin failed to stop and continued west onto East Erie Street, eventually leaving the city on U.S. Highway 30. He then reportedly stopped at a gas station. When the police officer exited his cruiser Erwin sped away, traveling east on Highway 30 before entering southbound Interstate 29. While on I-29 Erwin accelerated to speeds in excess of 100 mph, the police department said, before exiting at Loveland, where he traveled east on 145th Street before stopping. Erwin exited and ran across I-29 and down the east shoulder.

The chase and search for Erwin involved officers with the Missouri Valley Police Dept., Harrison and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Departments, the Iowa State Patrol, and an Omaha Police Department helicopter. The search ended just before 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, when officers lost contact with the man and his vehicle. But about one-half hour later, authorities in Harrison County received a call about a subject walking along the railroad tracks north of the DeSoto Avenue and Old Lincoln Highway. They used a thermal imaging device to locate Erwin and take him into custody.