Lang
4/17/22
A Washington County woman is in custody after a late Saturday night police chase that started in Iowa City and made its way through three different counties.
Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies say they attempted a traffic stop on a 2002 Toyota Camry with no license plates as it was westbound on Highway 6 heading into Iowa City just before 11pm. The officer activated his top lights as the vehicle turned right onto Commerce Drive, but the car did not stop. Instead, it turned west onto Liberty Drive, then south on Scott Boulevard. The officer then activated his sirens, but the Camry still failed to stop.
The car allegedly continued to speed, squealing its tires and performing unsafe passes as it led a pursuit eastbound on Highway 6 all the way to Bancroft Avenue. It then turned north and continued through Downey until finally coming to a stop at Baker Avenue and 310th Street, south of West Branch. The chase wound through portions of Johnson, Muscatine and Cedar Counties.
The driver, identified as 25-year-old Lana-Rea Meserole of Washington, allegedly showed signs of impairment. A search of the vehicle reportedly turned up a marijuana grinder containing a green, leafy substance and a container with a waxy material inside. Both substances were sent to the DCI lab for testing.
A drug recognition expert determined Meserole was under the influence of marijuana. Deputies say multiple marijuana pipes were found inside the vehicle, that Meserole had no proof of insurance, and that the car had not been registered since 2019.
Meserole was arrested and charged with Operating While Intoxicated, Eluding, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability, Operating a Non-Registered Vehicle, Driving While Suspended, and numerous traffic violations. If convicted on all charges, she faces a maximum of over three years in prison.