Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Man faces 16 charges following high-speed chase
A Mt. Pleasant man faces 16 charges including two felonies following a high-speed chase on May 26.
Derek Lankford was charged with possession with intent to deliver more than five grams of methamphetamine, a Class B felony, eluding, a Class D felony and 14 additional traffic charges, according to the Mt. Pleasant Police Department.
At 5:54 p.m. on May 26, police attempted to stop a 1998 Mitsubishi Galant on ...
N/A
Sep. 30, 2018 9:55 pm
A Mt. Pleasant man faces 16 charges including two felonies following a high-speed chase on May 26.
Derek Lankford was charged with possession with intent to deliver more than five grams of methamphetamine, a Class B felony, eluding, a Class D felony and 14 additional traffic charges, according to the Mt. Pleasant Police Department.
At 5:54 p.m. on May 26, police attempted to stop a 1998 Mitsubishi Galant on Mapleleaf Drive, east of Harvey Street, for excessive speed. The Galant did not stop and led officers on a high-speed chase south of Mt. Pleasant, which reached speeds in excess of 110 miles-per-hour.
The vehicle eventually crashed into a ditch on the 2000 grid of 285th Street and the vehicle?s two occupants fled on foot. A search of the area did not turn up the suspects. A WENS (wireless emergency notification system) message was transmitted by Henry County dispatch advising the public in the area to be on the lookout for the two male occupants of the vehicle.
At approximately 9:05 p.m., the dispatch center received a call from a citizen that one of the possible suspects in the chase was walking on Kentucky Avenue, west of Lexington Avenue. A short time later, Vazhon Durant, Mt. Pleasant, was located and transported to the police department for questioning regarding the chase. Durant was later transported to his residence and released without being charged.
The dispatch center received a call from a citizen in the 2900 grid of River Road at approximately 9:17 a.m. May 27 that there was a male subject walking in the area who might possibly be from the chase that occurred the prior night. Upon the arrival of officers, Lankford was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Henry County Jail.
The Mt. Pleasant Police Department was assisted by the Henry County Sheriff?s Department, the New London Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol and Breuer?s Wrecker Service. The department thanks citizens of Henry County who assisted in the apprehension of the subjects in the case by reporting suspicious subjects in their area.