High-speed chase ends near Mt. Pleasant Saturday

An Ottumwa woman led officers on a high-speed chase through Jefferson and Henry counties Saturday morning, which ended with the suspect being taken into custody after her vehicle's tires were deflated with a stop stick.

According to a news release from Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding, Barbara Kellar of Ottumwa was arrested and charged with felony eluding and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine greater than 5 grams.

The incident began in the late morning of Saturday, March 6, when a Jefferson County Sheriff's deputy was filling his patrol truck with gas in Batavia when he noticed a Cadillac with license plates corresponding to a BMW vehicle. Moulding said this is not only illegal but can also indicate that the driver is attempting to conceal their identity by putting plates from one car onto a different car.

The deputy attempted to stop the Cadillac, but instead of pulling over, the Cadillac sped off and headed eastbound on Highway 34. As it approached Fairfield, the driver attempted to exit Highway 34 but came upon a roadblock set up by Fairfield police, and thus left the exit ramp and returned to Highway 34, headed east toward Mt. Pleasant. During the pursuit, the Cadillac reached speeds of 100 miles per hour.

The Iowa State Patrol was called to assist, and deployed a stop stick on the road, which deflated the Cadillac's tires and brought it to a stop just west of Mt. Pleasant. Once stopped, the driver of the car, Barbara Kellar, surrendered to law enforcement officers. A passenger in the car was also arrested.

Lt. Dean Jalas of the Iowa State Patrol's Southeast Division said stop sticks are designed to deflate a car's tires gradually as opposed to popping it, which could be dangerous.

'A stop stick puts a small metal rod in the tire, and that controls the air coming out of the tire at a slow rate,” Jalas said.

According to the news release, a search of the vehicle uncovered numerous controlled substances including 2 oz of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and indications of drug trafficking activity. Moulding said 57 grams of methamphetamine were found after the vehicle was impounded.

Agencies involved in the pursuit included the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the Henry County Sheriff's Office, the Fairfield Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, and the Department of Transportation.