Northern Iowa teen leads police on dangerous chase before parent turns suspect over to police

ESTHERVILLE, IOWA – An Estherville teen faces multiple charges in regard to a high speed pursuit early Saturday Morning.

According to Emmet County Sheriff Mike Martens, a sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a 2006 GMC pickup vehicle that went through a stop sign traveling at high speed in Southwestern Emmet County at 0131am Saturday morning.

The suspect vehicle traveled east from the area going through stop signs at speeds in excess of 95 miles per hour. As the vehicle approached the intersection of 220th Street and Highway 4 on the North edge of Wallingford the vehicle also went through the stop sign at high speed and continued east on 220th street which is a dead end road. When the suspect vehicle arrived at the dead end it crashed into a garage at 4044 220th Street, destroying approximately 15 foot of the South wall and then striking a tractor with a mounted snow blower. As the deputy sheriff approached the vehicle at the scene the suspect vehicle backed up and then traveled South through a barbed wire fence into a farm field where it struck yet another fence going through it before the deputy lost sight of it.

A short time later the vehicle was located approximately two miles away in a nearby gravel pit. The vehicle had major front end damage and was found to be unoccupied. The Estherville Police Department’s K-9 and handler were called to the scene but attempts to track the driver were unsuccessful. Later this same morning the 17 year old teen was located by a parent and brought to the sheriff’s office.

Damage to the garage is estimated at $10,000, damage to the Allis Chalmers tractor and John Deere Snow blower is estimated at $10,000 and damage to the 2006 GMC is estimated at $10,000.00.

The incident remains under investigation.