Police pursuit ends in crash

FARMINGTON — The Farmington Police Department is looking for several people who ran from police, including escaping on foot after their car slid into a ditch following a high-speed chase Monday night.

According to Police Chief Rick Baker a Farmington police officer was patrolling Columbia Street and attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver failed to stop, and a pursuit ensued west on State Route 221 toward Doe Run and on west to Buck Mountain Road. At that point the driver lost control of the car and crashed into a ditch.

Baker said at that point several people in the vehicle fled on foot. The Missouri Highway Patrol and Farmington Police Department K-9 unit helped with the search, but the suspects were not found.

Police searched the abandoned vehicle and found several items that may help them in locating the suspects. They also ran the registration and discovered the vehicle was registered to a resident of Marquand. As of Tuesday investigators were attempting to make contact with the owner of the car. Baker said it had not been reported stolen.

The chief said anyone with information on the subjects involved in the pursuit is being asked to call the Farmington Police Department at (573) 756-6686.

As a side note, while a deputy was responding to the pursuit he struck a deer, causing damage to the front end of his vehicle. The deputy was not injured.

Maridee Lawson is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 756-8927 or mlawson@dailyjournalonline.com.