Davenport woman arrested after eluding police in VW Beetle
A Davenport woman is in the Scott County Jail after police say she eluded them at high speeds through Bettendorf and Davenport.
According to the criminal complaint, Bettendorf Police Department officer saw a black Volkswagen Beetle in the area of Hillside Drive and Hawthorne Drive on February 1 at about 11:16 p.m. The officer knew that the driver was possibly the defendant, identified as Amanda Meier, 39, and knew she had a warrant for her arrest and had a non-valid driver's license. The officer noticed that the Beetle had a nonfunctional rear light on the driver's side and a person matching Meier's description in the driver's seat.
The officer followed the Beetle from Hawthorne Drive to Parkway Drive and tried a traffic stop by activating the emergency lights, the complaint said. The car failed to stop, so the officer activated his emergency siren and began a pursuit. The Beetle accelerated to speeds over 50 mph on Parkway Drive, where the speed limit is 25 mph. It ran the stop sign from Parkway Drive onto Middle Road and headed west on Middle Road, where it accelerated to speeds above 60 mph in the 30-35 mph zones. The car failed to obey several traffic control lights on Middle Road. There were several other vehicles were on the roadway while the Beetle eluded law enforcement at a high rate of speed, disregarded traffic devices and showed wanton disregard for the safety of persons and vehicles. Officers ended the pursuit near Middle Road and Kimberly Road as the Beetle continued into Davenport on Locust Street.
Officers observed from a distance as the Beetle continued driving erratically and dangerously. Officers lost sight of the car near the area of Locust Street and Eastern Avenue. When officers arrived at the intersection, they noticed the car stopped facing north on Eastern Avenue. When officers arrived in the location of Eastern Avenue and E. Pleasant Court, they saw the car was parked and abandoned, with the passenger side door wide open. The driver's seat belt was fastened and appeared to have been sat on. Officers set a perimeter in the area, which was near Meier's address. Officers made contact at the address and the residents confirmed a relationship to Meier, according to the release.
Officers saw a neighbor's video surveillance footage, showing Meier and another suspect running toward the address on E. Pleasant Street and knocking at the door. Officers set up a perimeter around the address and the Beetle was towed to the station. Officers obtained and executed a search warrant for the address and the car. Officers commanded that any occupants inside the home should exit. Meier refused to exit on her own accord and she and the passenger were found hiding in the attic of the address.
Meier was read her Miranda rights and admitted to driving the Beetle and fleeing from law enforcement. A search of the vehicle turned up indica and a THC vape in Meier's purse. There were no insurance cards for the Beetle.
Meier is barred from driving from March 6, 2024 to March 5, 2027 as a habitual offender. She is suspended indefinitely for nonpayment of child support and nonpayment of an Iowa fine. She has indefinite withdrawals on file and 14 in effect. Her criminal history shows two previous arrests and convictions for possession of a controlled substance in 2018 and 2021.
Meier was arrested and charged with:
Felony first degree theft
2 counts of misdemeanor driving under suspension
Misdemeanor driving while barred
Felony eluding – speed over 25 mph
Misdemeanor interference with official acts
Misdemeanor no insurance
Felony possession third
Misdemeanor reckless driving
Other misdemeanor traffic charges
Meier is being held in the Scott County Jail on a combined secured and cash-only bond of $20,000, according to jail records. Her next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on February 11.
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