ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A Maryland Heights man is in custody for wreckless driving and endangering the lives of pedestrians while fleeing police.
An officer with the St. Ann Police Department was on patrol on May 25 at Wright Avenue and Gregory Lane when a motorist drove into oncoming traffic in order to pass the officer in his police vehicle.
Police claim the officer attempted a traffic stop, but the motorist sped off in a residential area. Pedestrians were forced to act quickly in order to avoid being struck by the fleeing vehicle.
On June 22, the same St. Ann police officer saw the motorist on a bicycle. The officer told the man on the bike to stop in order to make an arrest for fleeing.
However, the man on the bike attempted to pedal away, but the officer chased after him on foot and was able to make an arrest.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Harold Burton, 52, with resisting arrest by fleeing – creating a substantial risk of injury and resisting arrest for a felony.
If convicted, Burton faces up to four years in prison and a fine of $10,000 on each charge.