The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged a St. Louis man who allegedly fled from a Pevely Police officer, leading a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on a high-speed chase on I-55 and nearly hitting an Arnold Police officer’s vehicle, court records show.
Lambus A. McGhee IV, 20, has been charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention, a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison; and fourth-degree assault, a class A misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, according to court documents.
As of Jan. 29, McGhee was being held on a $25,000 bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, court records said.
According to a probable-cause statement filed by the Highway Patrol, the Pevely Police at about 2 a.m. Jan. 28 attempted to stop McGhee, who was driving a black Cadillac CTS. McGhee allegedly failed to stop, and a trooper saw the Cadillac driving north on I-55 near the Hwy. M exit in Barnhart.
The trooper turned on his vehicle’s lights and siren in an attempt to stop McGhee. However, McGhee turned off the Cadillac’s lights and allegedly continued to speed away from the trooper, the report said.
McGhee turned the car’s lights back on while driving north on I-55, and the trooper reported the speed of the pursuit reached speeds between 83 mph to 127 mph. The trooper also wrote in the probable-cause statement that McGhee made multiple lane changes around traffic without signaling.
An Arnold Police officer set up a spike strip on I-55 under the Church Road overpass and had parked a police vehicle, with its lights on, on the interstate’s shoulder. As McGhee approached the overpass, he allegedly drove onto the shoulder toward the police vehicle, swerving just before impact, according to the report.
After swerving to avoid hitting the Arnold Police vehicle, McGhee drove over the spike strip, lost control of the Cadillac and spun out. The car stopped on the right side of I-55 south of the Hwy. 141 exit, and McGhee got out of the car with his hands in the air and was arrested, the report said.