Kansas City man accused of high-speed chase in stolen SUV, fleeing into floodwater
By Nick Sloan
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — A Kansas City man is accused of leading Independence police on a high-speed pursuit in a stolen vehicle before jumping into floodwater and attempting to swim away from officers.
William Cook is charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention.
Court records state that Independence police tried to stop a white Cadillac SUV on April 27 near 23rd Street after noticing it did not have a front license plate and the rear plate was not on file.
Police say the driver, identified in court records as Cook, did not stop and instead sped off.
The pursuit reached speeds of 94 mph and the vehicle drove through a road closure before entering oncoming lanes to avoid barricades.
The pursuit ended when the vehicle became inoperable after it entered a flooded intersection near 23rd Street and Television Place in Kansas City, an area that experience heavy flooding after rain fall on Sunday and Monday.
Court records allege Cook then got out and ran into a flooded field, where he ignored commands and tried to swim away.
Kansas City firefighters were called in to assist with a water rescue.
After about 36 minutes, Cook was taken into custody.
The SUV had been reported stolen out of Kansas City, Kansas, in March after someone allegedly broke into a dealership and took keys before stealing vehicles from the lot, according to the probable cause statement.
Cook has been previously charged in one police pursuit.
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