Austin police officers aided Freeborn County officers in a high-speed chase early Wednesday morning.

Thursday, December 28, 2000

Austin police officers aided Freeborn County officers in a high-speed chase early Wednesday morning.

Officers stopped a vehicle driven by eighteen-year-old Steven Cole, at 12:37 a.m. Wednesday morning after receiving a call concerning an intoxicated driver in a ditch. Two passengers were in the vehicle with Cole.

After questioning Cole, he appeared nervous but with no reason to detain him, officers let him go. Shortly afterward the officers discovered that Cole was driving with a suspended license.

At 1:41 a.m., officers received a request from the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office to aid in a high-speed chase that was entering the Austin area. The suspect vehicle matched the description of the one Cole was driving earlier.

Austin officers set stop sticks along County 46, but as he neared and saw the officers’ vehicle, the driver turned northbound onto 43rd Street. The chase continued with one Freeborn deputy behind the suspect and two Austin officers following a half of a mile behind.

Chase speeds neared 60 miles per hour on gravel roads and 90 to 100 miles per hour on paved streets.

Near 43rd Street and 20th Avenue, the Freeborn officer ‘s vehicle slid into the ditch and was damaged. Austin officers continued to pursue.

A second vehicle driven by a Freeborn officer joined the chase and went into a ditch. A third raced to get into position behind the suspect’s vehicle.

At mile marker 156 along Interstate 90, Albert Lea and Freeborn officers continued the chase and Austin officers left

A half hour later, the suspect was stopped in Faribault County with stop sticks.