Teen held in jail here after high-speed chase, arrest


Woodward

Dakota Woodward, 18, of Gainesville, is being held in the Ozark County Jail on a $25,000 cash-only bond in connection with a Memorial Day high-speed chase with Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper J. Prater. Woodward is charged with possession of methamphetamine and resisting arrest by fleeing, creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death to any person. He is scheduled to be arraigned June 12 by Associate Circuit Judge Cynthia MacPherson.
According to the probable cause statement in the case prepared by Prater, the officer attempted to stop an eastbound Ford Taurus at 6:05 p.m. Monday, May 28, on Highway 160 in Theodosia after the trooper saw that the vehicle had no registration. After Prater activated his police lights and siren, the Taurus reportedly turned south onto County Road 639, a looped county road, and increased its speed in an attempt to flee the officer, heading back toward Highway 160. When it reached the other end of County Road 639, the Taurus pulled out onto Highway 160, traveling westbound this time, without stopping at the stop sign, according to the report.
The vehicle continued to flee at a high rate of speed, the report says, traveling west on Highway 160 and turning north onto Highway 95, crossing the center line of the highways several times. The car turned onto County Road 885, then onto County Road 881, traveling off the roadway, striking several large rocks and coming to a stop.
Two individuals fled the vehicle on foot, the statement says, running south on County Road 881. Prater yelled, commanding them to stop and show their hands, but they did not stop and continued to flee. At 6:37 p.m., Woodward was located and placed in handcuffs. While Prater was escorting the teen to the police car, Woodward said he was the driver of the vehicle. The MSHP Troop G officer reportedly confirmed that Woodward did not have a valid license. Woodward told the officer as he was being placed in the vehicle that he had drugs on him and handed the officer a bag filled with a white crystalline substance, which field tested positive as methamphetamine. Prater wrote in the report that he also smelled the scent of alcohol on Woodward’s breath.
Woodward was transported to the Ozark County Jail, where he reportedly refused to submit to a chemical breath test.
The report says that, at the time it was written, there were no leads as to who the other occupant of the car was. The arrest was recorded in audio and video form.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423