Police arrested a man who struck two police vehicles and led officers on a high-speed chase on Friday night,
Dustin Turner, 36, was arrested by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office and charged with eluding, assault on persons in a certain occupation (class D felonies), interference with official acts (simple misdemeanor), and six traffic violations.
Just after 7 p.m., the Lee County Sheriff’s Office requested the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office’s assistance in finding a white Chevy suburban that had hit a Lee County squad car and was last seen heading north on Highway 61.
A short time later, a Des Moines County deputy spotted the suburban heading north on Highway 61 and then turned left onto Skunk River Road, according to a criminal complaint.
As the deputy was following the car, police say Turner stopped the vehicle, put it in reverse and rammed it into the front of the deputy’s patrol vehicle.
The deputy then put on his lights and sirens, but police say Turner drove off on Skunk River Road, then turned south on Walnut Street and then west on Augusta Mill Road.
During the pursuit, police say Turner ignored a stop sign and was driving approximately 25 mph over the 35-mph speed limit, made his way eastbound towards Highway 61 before hitting police stop sticks, the complaint states.
The suburban then left the roadway at the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 16, landed in the west ditch of Highway 61, and Turner then drove the car back onto Highway 61 with flattened tires, heading northbound in the southbound lane as other vehicles were driving towards him until crossing over the center median near Rock Springs Road, according to the complaint.
Police say Turner then turned onto Old Highway 61, continued northbound, ran over another set of stop sticks, and got out of the car after it became disabled.
After a brief run through a nearby field, police apprehended Turner. He was taken to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries from the car crash before being taken to the Des Moines County Jail.
Turner is being held at on $60,000 cash-only bond.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 23 at the Des Moines County Courthouse.
The Burlington and West Burlington police departments also assisted in Turner’s arrest.
