Dramatic chase leads to charges

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A Cottage Grove man was charged Dec. 23 with DWI, underage drinking and driving and fleeing a police officer following a car chase through Cottage Grove.

Bradley Thomas Patton, 20, allegedly fled police starting at Keats Avenue and Jordan Avenue until he lost control of his car near Highway 61 and Kimbro Avenue.

According to the Washington County District Court Complaint:

Patton’s mother called police at about 9:20 p.m. Oct. 3 to report that her son left the residence driving a white Cadillac, and that he was extremely intoxicated. A Cottage Grove officer tried to locate the car, but didn’t find it until a concerned motorist called 911 to report the vehicle near Keats Avenue and Jordan Avenue.

Officers spotted the Cadillac, which was going at between 15 and 20 mph. The officer activated her emergency lights, then the air horn and siren on her car, but Patton allegedly didn’t stop. He went through the stop sign at Indian Boulevard and Jocelyn Avenue, heading west on Indian Boulevard. The officer rammed the vehicle, and the driver lost control, swerving sideways off the road, but then he regained control and sped up, continuing to travel west on Indian Boulevard.

The officer tried to drive alongside the Cadillac, but Patton would slam on the brakes and swerve toward the squad car. Patton got to the four-way stop at Jamaica Avenue, but then accelerated quickly through the intersection without waiting for traffic to clear, and headed south on Jamaica. He sped up to speeds between 80 and 90 mph, swerving around other cars. At the four-way stop at Hillside Trail, police saw cars driving onto the grassy median and sidewalk to avoid being struck. Patton kept going, running a red light at 90th Street and Jamaica, almost striking other motorists. He headed for the Jamaica Avenue roundabouts, almost causing more vehicle accidents, and then onto Highway 61 South, where he reached speeds nearing 130 mph. He tried to make a left turn at Kimbro Avenue and went through the median at speeds of 60 to 70 mph, causing him to go momentarily airborne. He nearly struck two motorists heading north, and then drove north on Highway 61 before making a U-turn, heading south again and then turning left on to Kimbro Avenue. He traveled at more than 110 mph on Kimbro, but lost control of the car near a residence at 9038 Kimbro Avenue and went into a ditch.

Patton’s speech was slurred and he refused to verbally identify himself, according to the court complaint.

Patton faces charges of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, which carries a maximum penalty of three years and $5,000; second-degree DWI, which carries a maximum penalty of one year and $3,000; third-degree DWI, which carries a maximum penalty of one year and $3,000 and underage drinking and driving which carries a maximum penalty of 90 days and $1,000.

Patton’s next court appearance is on Feb. 10.

Tags: cottage grove, police, chase, dwi