Driver in Custody Following Police Chase

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — One man is in custody after a driver led police on a wild chase that ended when a car crashed through a fence, ending up in a homeowner’s backyard. Kansas City police officers on patrol Tuesday afternoon say they saw a man fall or get pushed out of a car near 10th and Bennington. When they tried to stop that car, it sped away, sideswiping another vehicle.

The pursuit ended near 19th and Elizabeth in Kansas City, Kan., where a Dodge Caliber crashed through the fence of a home and ended up stuck in the backyard. As police closed in, neighbors watched two people try to run away.

“We saw two individuals in white tee shirts running behind the houses there,” said Dennis Cromwell.  “And the next thing we know, we could see one of them down by Donnelly College. A Kansas City Missouri police officer ran down the street in his car and pulled up just in time to grab one of them.”

Police say the driver taken into custody faces felony charges in Wyandotte County of criminal damage to property and eluding police. KCK detectives also interviewed a woman at the scene. Police say she claimed to be held against her will in the car. Police say they’re investigating those claims.  Homeowner Darlene Weinert was stunned to return home from the doctor to find police swarming around her house and her fence torn down.

“We were very, very grateful that no one was hurt,” Weinert said. “We were gone but thank God no one was hurt. That’s the main thing. Now we want to see our house. I can’t believe it.”

Weinert says she’s just thankful the driver responsible for the damage is in police custody. “It makes me a little sick!” she said.

The man police thought they saw fall or get pushed out of the car later told officers he left the car of his own free will.