A Topeka man accused of leaving an accident, trying to ram a police car and leading police on a chase out of Emporia on Sunday was arrested early this morning.
Police arrested Jesse Lannan, 24, for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, felony attempt to elude, felony obstruction and a number of driving offenses.
The incident started around 11:48 p.m. Sunday when Celeste Bowen of Emporia called police to say Lannan had sideswiped her car and forced her off the road in the 700 block of Peyton Street. On leaving the accident, police said, Lannan also hit a mailbox belonging to Juan Sanchez, 701 Peyton St.
As Lannan turned south on Dorset Street, police Officer Bill Ross attempted to pull him over. Lannan reached a dead end, turned around, and tried to ram Ross’s car head-on. Ross dodged, then followed Lannan north to Sixth Avenue.
Lannan turned east on U.S. Highway 50 and headed out of Emporia, still followed by Ross. After U.S. 50 became Road 175, Lannan turned into a private drive at 1842 Road 175, drove a quarter-mile, and then got out of the car and ran.
Emporia police, Lyon County sheriff’s deputies and the Kansas Highway Patrol began searching the area for Lannan, aided by thermal imaging, dogs and a helicopter.
Around 2:25 a.m., police got a call of a suspicious person matching Lannan’s description in the 300 block of Weaver Street. Lannan was arrested a few minutes later and taken to the Lyon County Jail. Reports have been forwarded to the Lyon County Attorney’s office so that formal charges can be filed in district court.
High speeds
An Overland Park man was arrested following a high speed chase through Lyon and Coffey counties Saturday.
Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Beau Wallace said the chase started as a citizen’s report in Osage County of a motorcycle being driven at speeds possibly in excess of 100 miles per hour. A KHP trooper spotted the motorcycle in Coffey County on I-35. Trooper Wallace picked up the chase, which headed into Lyon County before 22-year-old Brandon Ashton Russell Miller took the Merchant Street exit and headed north on Kansas Highway 99.
Miller then contiued up Road L, or the Allen Road, and continued going north at a high rate of speed and stopped just before Allen, Wallace said. He was taken into custody without incident. He is being held at the Lyon County Jail and charges are pending in Coffey County.