High speed chase in Phelps County leaves one dead

On September 26, 2017, at approximately 1:21 a.m., a Rolla police officer saw a Silver Dodge Stratus driving erratically through the round-about at Kingshighway and Interstate 44/Martin Springs Drive.

The vehicle was traveling at a speed too fast to negotiate the roundabout, which caused the tires on the suspect vehicle to skid and squeal. The vehicle exited the round-about and began traveling at a high rate of speed westbound on Martin Springs Drive.

The officer activated his lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle. The suspect vehicle continued to accelerate, began weaving badly, and ultimately did not stop for the officer.

A pursuit was initiated due to the belief that the driver was intoxicated. The driver of the suspect vehicle lost control, left the roadway, went airborne and wrecked near Martin Springs Drive and County Road 7000 in a small creek ditch.

According to the release, the officer requested that the fire department and ambulance respond because the suspect was trapped inside the vehicle, was unconscious but breathing, and suffered blunt force trauma to the chest from the steering wheel upon impact.

He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.

The suspect had to be extricated from the wreckage amd eventually flown to University Medical Center in Columbia, where he died from his injuries . The deceased was identified as John A. Atkinson, 39, of Farmington.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Atkinson was in possession of methamphetamine and had an active warrant for his arrest from the United States Marshall’s Service for Escape.

Toxicology reports are pending from the Phelps County Coroner, but it is suspected that Atkinson was intoxicated.