by Jeff Raasch
Two men were jailed after separate high-speed police chases Thursday in Cedar Rapids.
Terrell McBride, 23, of Cedar Rapids, faces six criminal charges after police found three baggies of marijuana in his car following a chase through the southwest quadrant of the city late Thursday night.
According to a police report, a car ran a stop sign at Jacolyn Drive and 20th Avenue SW around 11:20 p.m., and police quickly determined the car owner had a suspended license. Upon seeing the flashing lights, the driver turned onto Williams Boulevard SW and headed toward Fairfax, exceeding 80 mph in the 55 mph zone, police said.
The driver stopped the car just south of Highway 30 and took off running through the ditch, despite losing a shoe in the mud.
Police lost sight of him, but other officers in the area located McBride, without one shoe, nearby in the yard of 6403 Palmetto Circle SW.
McBride was charged with conspiracy to deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, attempting to elude, driving while barred, interference with official acts and a drug tax stamp violation.
About 23 hours earlier, police were chasing another man in northeast Cedar Rapids. Matthew C. Ivey, 25, of Mount Vernon, was subsequently charged with operating while intoxicated and attempting to elude.
Police said Ivey also ran a stop sign, at Council Street and Hollywood Boulevard NE shortly after midnight Thursday. According to the officer’s report, Ivey ignored lights and sirens, going 70 mph in a 30 mph zone on Oakland Road NE.
Ivey’s car spun out on wet pavement near the intersection of 42nd Street NE and stopped near the Hawkeye Convenience Store, police said. Nothing was damaged and no one was hurt.
Police said Ivey smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech and red, watery eyes. He later provided a breath sample which indicated a breath alcohol level of 0.162, according to a criminal complaint.
Both McBride and Ivey were taken to the Linn County Jail. By mid-day Friday, McBride had been released, but Ivey remained, in lieu of $1,500 bond.
It was the third police chase in Cedar Rapids this week. A fourth police chase started in Palo and ended in Cedar Rapids early Wednesday morning.
