An Iowa State University student faces a felony eluding charge after allegedly leading authorities on a chase that ended in a rollover crash in west Ames.
According to Story County Sheriff’s Office Captain Nicholas Lennie, police were initially tipped off about an erratic driver on US Highway 30 who was reportedly driving into oncoming traffic. “At about 1:30 p.m. today, we received 911 calls of a wrong-way driver on Highway 30,” he explained. “The calls indicated that this driver was driving the wrong way in the eastbound lanes and the westbound lanes.”
Lennie stated that an officer proceeded to locate the vehicle, a white 2004 Ford Expedition. “Within a few minutes, a Story County deputy that was in the area located the vehicle on Lincoln Highway on the west side of Ames,” he said. “The vehicle was stopped, blocking both lanes of traffic.
“The deputy attempted to walk up to the vehicle. The vehicle then took off east [on Lincoln Way]. At that point, a pursuit ensued.”
Authorities eventually were able to stop the vehicle, due to a pit maneuver performed by a deputy. “The pursuit lasted just under 10 minutes,” Lennie continued. “It ended on Lincoln Way in the area of the west Hy-Vee. The suspect hit a curb and rolled his [vehicle].”
The driver, later identified as 20-year-old Ty Allen Shoulders, reportedly remained resistant to officers following the wreck. “In the process of taking this individual into custody, officers had to deploy a taser,” Lennie confirmed, adding that Shoulders remained “erratic and uncooperative” during the interaction.
Shoulders, who is reportedly a Sioux City native, is listed as a junior at Iowa State University, per the school’s online directory.
In addition to Shoulders’ SUV, four other vehicles are said to have sustained physical damage as a result of the incident. “During the pursuit, the primary deputy’s vehicle that was giving chase was rammed by the suspect, causing severe damage to that police car,” Lennie noted. “There is another squad car that had some damage, along with a Cy-Ride bus and an uninvolved motorist.”
No injuries were reported.
Lennie says the incident remains under investigation, and it is currently unknown whether Shoulders was under the influence of any substances at the time of the incident.
Shoulders was taken into custody and charged with Eluding, with other potential charges still pending. He was transported to the Story County Jail in Nevada.
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Ames Police Department and the Iowa State University Police Department during the chase.
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