Amish “Narrowly” Escape Disaster In ANOTHER Criminal High-Speed Chase
When I saw the headline, I thought for sure this was a follow-up to last week’s story of an Amish family being nearly run over in a high-speed chase involving a criminal suspect in the Bluegrass State.
But no, this is a different, but disturbingly similar story from next-door Missouri. From KCTV5:
WINDSOR, Mo. (KCTV) – Several charges have been filed against a Missouri man accused of leading deputies on a high-speed chase after he nearly dragged one of them and almost hit an Amish buggy.
The Henry County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office says that on May 7, law enforcement officials were called to the 100 block of NE 52 Highway in Windsor with reports of a burglary. Investigative leads and community collaboration led them to identify the suspect as Joseph C. Roberts, 60, of Sedalia.
It’s believed Roberts did the break-in and was also responsible for “the theft of tools and property damage that cost the owner more than $12,000 in damages.” Apparently for whatever reason he wasn’t arrested at the time.
And so about a month passes. Roberts was not seen again until June 1, having “multiple outstanding felony warrants out for his arrest.” It was then that mayhem ensued:
Deputies said they ordered Roberts to stop; however, he refused and entered a vehicle in an attempt to flee. They tried to remove him, but he accelerated and nearly dragged one deputy along with him. He ultimately sped out of the parking lot and initiated a high-speed chase that extended through Johnson County.
During the chase, law enforcement officials said Roberts reached speeds in excess of 100 mph, drove recklessly through traffic and narrowly avoided a crash with an Amish buggy. Ultimately, he abandoned his vehicle in an attempt to run in a nearby cornfield. He was taken into custody without further incident.
Unlike the suspect in Kentucky (apparently still on the run), he was quickly captured, so the surrounding community doesn’t have to worry about a fugitive in their midst. If convicted, Roberts could face up to 26 years in prison under Missouri law.
The Henry County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office give an account of the case in a Facebook post:
Strange: Third-high speed chase with Amish as (fortunate) bystanders
So far this year, this is at least the third high speed chase involving criminal suspects in which the Amish were nearly badly injured or killed (the other was this incident in February). That’s three chases in a little over three months.
That seems weird on its face, especially since I don’t have much if any recollection of such chase stories involving the Amish in previous years.
This may in part be a reflection of the expanding Amish population, or an increase in criminality, or perhaps both. Though in this case, Amish have lived in the Windsor area for 50 years, with a current population close to 500 people.
In any case let’s hope it’s the last such incident for a long while. While I’m sure this family, like the other, will have a story to tell in the community, I’d imagine they’d be fine not having had the experience.
