CEDAR RAPIDS – A young Iowa man rocketed through Iowa on his motorcycle, weaving through traffic at speeds reaching near 130 miles per hour, but failed to elude justice in the end.
On July 19, 2024, at approximately 8:50p.m., Cedar Rapids Police officers attempted to stop a motorcycle in the 300 block of 1st Ave W. The driver of the motorcycle refused to stop and accelerated away at a very high rate of speed. The driver continued eluding officers at speeds over 100mph and traveled to southbound I-380. The Iowa State Patrol airwing gained visual of the motorcycle, and CRPD patrol units discontinued the vehicle pursuit. The driver then exited and traveled west on Highway 30, continuing to drive recklessly without police chasing him. His speeds reached closed to 130mph on Highway 30. The driver weaved through traffic and at times, passing vehicles on the shoulders of the roadway.
The ISP aircraft continued to track the motorcycle as it exited on 80th St SW and continued to drive at reckless speeds, failing to stop at controlled intersections and unsafely passing vehicles. When the driver reached the outskirts of the City limits law enforcement re-initiated the pursuit and the driver eventually came to a stop near 16th Ave and 80th St SW. The driver was identified as Cade Thorstenson, 19, of Cedar Rapids. He was charged with two charges of Eluding and 21 other traffic citations.
Patrol Sergeant and Commander of the CRPD Canine Unit, Sgt Nate Trimble says the cooperation of the ISP Aerial Unit is a critical component of traffic enforcement efforts.
“The ISP Airwing unit has built a relationship with CRPD and offers its assistance with enforcement efforts when staffing allows. They are an invaluable resource in instances where a violator decides to flee and airborne assets are available. The Airwing unit works closely with specialty units such as K9 to aid in searching for these high-risk individuals.”
In the course of its mission on Friday night, CRPD and the ISP Aerial Unit were able to issue 33 Citations, six warnings and make three arrests. Linn County Sheriff’s Deputies were also involved in these efforts.