IC man allegedly crashes car into telephone pole, leads police on lengthy foot chase

Lang
9/26/21

Iowa City Police say a suspect in a one-vehicle accident led officers on a lengthy foot chase before his arrest early Sunday morning.

Officers were called to the 2100 block of Muscatine Avenue just before 2:30am for a 2011 Nissan Maxima that had struck a telephone pole. The caller described the driver to police, and the suspect was located near the scene of the accident. Police say the driver, later identified as 33-year-old Reginald Payne of Westwinds Drive, fled on foot despite officers’ commands to stop.

A search of the abandoned vehicle turned up a title with Payne’s name on it, and there was evidence that the car’s Bluetooth had been connected to Payne’s phone.

Payne was eventually located after an extensive search. Police say he showed signs of intoxication, and was found in possession of marijuana. He refused all sobriety testing before and after his arrest.

Payne is charged with Operating While Intoxicated – 2nd Offense, Driving While Revoked, Possession of Marijuana – 3rd or Subsequent Offense, Interference With Official Acts, Public Intoxication, and numerous traffic violations. If convicted on all charges, Payne faces a maximum of over five years in prison.