Driver in Monday morning police pursuit charged with meth possession, fleeing police

A driver who allegedly led Cape Girardeau and Illinois State police in a pursuit across state lines Monday morning has since been taken into custody and charged for fleeing from police and meth possession, according to Cape Girardeau County court filings.

An arrest warrant filed by Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Welker and signed by Judge Frank E. Miller on Tuesday named the alleged driver as Tyler Ford of Thebes, Illinois.

Ford has been charged with one class D felony count of possession of methamphetamine and one class E felony count of resisting a lawful stop and causing the risk of serious injury or death to others. Bond was set at $10,000 cash-only.

A probable-cause statement written by officer Cecil Ray identified Ford as the driver of a gold Chevrolet Impala that failed to yield to officer Nick Mayberry’s attempts to stop the vehicle in Cape Girardeau and led to the pursuit.

The probable-cause statement described the pursuit to have spanned about 6 miles in excess of 120 miles per hour before Ford allegedly abandoned his vehicle on Gerard Road near East Cape Girardeau, Illinois, and fled on foot — but only after taking off a white jacket and throwing it on the ground.

The driver entered a drainage canal and crossed a flooded field, according to the probable-cause statement, which Mayberry also attempted to cross but was unsuccessful.

Mayberry conducted a search of the driver’s discarded jacket and found a small bag with a preliminary weight of 25 grams that field tested positive as methamphetamine, according to the statement. A black scale and multiple clear baggies were also recovered from the center console of the Chevy, according to Mayberry’s primary report.

According to Ray’s probable-cause statement, Cape Girardeau police were contacted by an Alexander County Sheriff’s Department deputy and advised that Ford had been taken into custody at about 2 p.m. Monday. Ray stated he later made contact with the deputy and conducted an interview with Ford, during which Ford admitted to being the driver in the chase and fleeing from Mayberry’s traffic stop.

Ford is being held at the Pulaski County Corrections Center pending charges, Ray stated.