(Stuart, IA) – Officials with the Stuart Police Department report one person was arrested on a felony eluding and other charges, following a pursuit Friday evening, June 12th. At around 6:30-p.m., a Stuart Police Officer observed a vehicle with significant damage and equipment violations traveling in the area of S. Division St. and SE 13th Street. As the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the driver accelerated away at a high rate of speed.
The vehicle continued east and then south into rural Adair County. During the pursuit, the driver failed to yield to emergency lights and sirens, drove at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour, and endangered other motorists, road workers, passengers inside the vehicle, and the public. At the intersection of 110th Street and Walnut Avenue, the driver lost control of the vehicle and entered a ditch, causing significant damage to the front driver’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle narrowly missed striking a telephone pole before the driver regained control and continued fleeing.
The pursuit ended at a residence in the 1300 block of Stuart Road, where the driver was taken into custody without further incident. Officials say despite the reckless nature of the pursuit and the substantial damage sustained by the suspect vehicle, no other vehicles were damaged and no injuries were reported.
As a result of the pursuit, Jeremiah R. Janes, of Rural Stuart, was arrested and charged with:
• Felony Eluding
• Reckless Driving
• Multiple Traffic Violations
The Stuart Police Department was assisted by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol.
The filing of criminal charges is based upon probable cause and is not a determination of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law
