Man arrested in Ainsworth after hitting fence, fleeing police

AINSWORTH — Police said they arrested Brighton resident Michael Stottler Jr. after he allegedly fled from an officer into a field early Thursday morning, charging the man with a handful of offenses.

A county Call For Service report said Stottler was “scoping out” a handful of properties in Ainsworth for three or four hours before police were called shortly before 2:30 a.m. Nov. 21. When an officer tried to pull Stottler over, the driver allegedly fled, “crashing through a fence” and eventually wrecking in a field.

In court records, a Washington County deputy said he found Stottler’s truck parked on the wrong side of the road while investigating the area, and tried to pull it over when it started to drive off shortly after the police car passed by.

“As I initiated my emergency lights, the truck accelerated and began driving very erratically,” Deputy Derek Porsch wrote in an affidavit. “I initiated my sirens as the vehicle crashed into the ditch, drove through a fence, and continued driving through a cornfield before striking a stock bale.”

The incident didn’t result in any injuries, according to the CFS report. The car was towed shortly after the arrest.

After the accident, Stottler was arrested on accusations of operating under the influence, driving on the wrong side of the road, criminal mischief, driving with a suspended license, and eluding an officer.

Court records show Stottler was previously convicted of eluding officers in January of 2023, when he led a 70 mph chase on a gravel road across the Washington-Johnson County line before he was arrested, and eventually sentenced to a 30-day jail sentence and a year of probation.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com