Midday crash on I-70 related to chase
UPDATE: The suspect is in critical condition at University Hospital.
Deputies in Boone County have confirmed a crash on Interstate 70 in Columbia was related to a chase.
It happened just before 12:00 in the westbound lanes of I-70 near exit 125. The crash caused traffic to slow down for a time.
ABC 17 News has confirmed deputies were chasing a man at the time, and has learned the suspect had three active warrants. Authorities spotted the suspect, identified as Michael Pauls, at Vandiver Drive and Rangeline Road. Pauls apparently saw the deputies, and sped onto westbound I-70.
Pauls lost control of his truck near the Garth Avenue overpass and crashed into a semi truck. The truck caught fire as a result of the crash, and Pauls was taken to a hospital for injuries he got in the crash. The driver of the semi truck was not injured.
Pauls’ warrants were issued for failing to appear on charges of burglary, possession of a controlled substance, and fraudulent use of a credit device. Pauls is also a suspect in the recent theft of a cell phone.
