A Hartford-area man is facing several charges after leading sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase through Decatur Sunday afternoon before abandoning his vehicle in a cornfield.
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy tried to stop a black 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer near East Sherwood and South East Street after observing multiple traffic violations. The driver refused to pull over, speeding through the village and onto M-51 at nearly 80 miles per hour before turning onto County Road 215 and 92nd Avenue.
Deputies ended the pursuit when the vehicle ran off the road into a cornfield. A perimeter was quickly set up with help from nearby residents and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, which deployed a drone. Authorities say the 33-year-old suspect from the Hartford area surrendered a short time later without incident.
The Trailblazer was found disabled and abandoned nearby, with methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia inside. The suspect had multiple outstanding warrants in Van Buren County and is now jailed on those warrants and new charges including fleeing and eluding, possession of meth, and malicious destruction of property.
Officials say the case remains under investigation.
