It’s the holiday season, which means an unfortunate number of drivers decide to risk everyone’s safety on the road. Additionally, this is one of the worst times of the year for car theft. Recently, police officers tried to conduct a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle. Sadly, the driver tried his best to escape and is now facing several charges, including some that are drug-related. 

Not only did he commit car theft, but he also ran from a traffic stop with drugs in the car

According to KCTV 5, the  Independence Police Department in Missouri recently learned of a car theft in the area. Luckily, police officers later noticed the vehicle and then tried to conduct a traffic stop. As is often the case, the driver made the unfortunate decision to evade the police officers instead of pulling over. The driver, Robert T. Wood, 54, then led the officers on a chase.

The driver of the stolen vehicle reached speeds of 62 miles per hour on residential roads as he tried to escape the traffic stop. Notably, the report says the roads were wet at the time due to light rain. In total, the chase lasted for about six miles. It concluded when a tow truck driver used the vehicle’s bed to derail the stolen car. Sadly, this caused it to crash into another driver. 

Of course, this traffic stop also included a police search of the vehicle. While looking around, they found a glass pipe, multiple syringes, and three grams of meth. The report doesn’t say that the driver had recently partaken in the illegal drug, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility, given his actions. He admitted that the meth belonged to him. The man was also on probation for possession at the time of his arrest. Additionally, he claimed to have purchased the vehicle on Facebook Marketplace. 

Now, the alleged car theft perpetrator is being charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention. He was held on a $10,000 bond. This should serve as a cautionary tale about the consequences of car theft and trying to evade a traffic stop.