An Arnold Police officer suffered a minor injury after a 34-year-old House Springs man allegedly struck a patrol vehicle while trying to flee from officers Wednesday evening (Sept. 2). The pursuit began at an Arnold gas station and ended on Hwy. 141 near Ridgewood Middle School between Arnold and Fenton, where the suspect was involved in a three-vehicle accident that left two Arnold women seriously hurt, authorities reported.
The officer, Douglas W. Bequette, 54, of Arnold, was treated at the scene and was able to return to work, Arnold Police Capt. Rich Shular said.
The police pursuit started just before 8 p.m. at the Circle K gas station, 2046 Key West Drive, in Arnold, where Bequette and his partner spotted a 2008 Nissan Altima with no license plates. When the officers pulled into the gas station lot, the suspect allegedly quickly got into the Altima and drove away at a high rate of speed, an Arnold Police reported.
The officers, who were in a 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe, pursued the Altima onto Hwy. 141. While on the highway, the police SUV pulled alongside the car so the officers could identify the driver. While the patrol vehicle was driving next to the car, the suspect allegedly swerved at the SUV, forcing the officers’ vehicle into a median. The officers got back on the highway and continued the pursuit, which led to Ridgewood School Road, the report said.
The House Springs man turned into the Ridgewood Middle School parking lot, 1401 Ridgewood School Road. Other officers arrived at that school, and the suspect allegedly continued to flee from officers on the lot, swerving at some police vehicles during the pursuit, according to the report.
In the meantime, Bequette and his partner parked at the entrance of the school, and Bequette’s partner was laying down a spike strip when the suspect drove towards the entrance. The Altima hit the side of the police SUV that Bequette was in, and then the suspect drove over the spike strip while on Ridgewood School Road and headed towards Hwy. 141, the report said.
As the Altima tried to cross the highway, a 2012 Toyota Camry hit the left side of the Altima, which then hit a 2011 GMC Terrain head-on, the Highway Patrol reported.
Deborah L. Thompson, 59, of Arnold was driving the Camry, and Carroll Politte, 78, of Arnold was a passenger in the Camry. Alexander D. Nikolic, 57, of De Soto was driving the Terrain, the highway patrol report said.
No injuries were reported for Nikolic. However, the suspect was moderately injured, and Thompson and Politte were seriously injured. All three were transported by Rock Township Ambulance to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County, the highway patrol reported.
On Thursday afternoon (Sept. 3), Politte was listed in critical condition, and Thompson was in satisfactory condition, but the hospital had no information about the suspect’s condition, a Mercy South spokesman said.
The suspect was not wearing a seat belt, but Thompson, Politte and Nikolic were wearing seat belts, the patrol reported.
The Altima and the Camry were totaled, and the Terrain was moderately damaged, the report said.
Shular said the estimate for the damage to the patrol SUV was $4,000.
On Friday (Sept. 4), Shular said Arnold Police were still investigating the incident to determine why the man fled from officers. He also said police will seek charges through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office against the suspect for assaulting a police officer, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting arrest against the suspect.
Shular added that more charges could be sought, depending on the results of the investigation.
The suspect won’t be named unless charges are filed against him and as of Friday none had been filed.