A Kansas City man is facing several charges after leading the Missouri Highway Patrol on a dangerous high-speed chase on Interstate 29, colliding with a patrol car and crossing state lines.
Christopher Flathers
Christopher Flathers, 28, is charged with stealing, driving on a revoked license and resisting a lawful stop from the incident on Saturday, June 15. He was given a public defender application on July 24 and is due back in court before judge Quint Shafer this week. Flathers was also recently charged with possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest in Clay County.
He is currently being held without bond at the Platte County Detention Center.
According to court documents, the Highway Patrol was called to assist Kansas City police in stopping a stolen Chevrolet truck, which was traveling north on Interstate 29. Kansas City police followed the vehicle at a distance, noting the driver, later identified as Flathers, was driving erratically. When the patrolman entered the chase, he saw the white truck was speeding and changing lanes without signaling, nearly striking several vehicles. He gave chase at around I-29 and Northwest 56th Street, activating his lights and siren. The truck exited the highway at Northwest 72nd Street, ran a red light and got back on I-29, this time heading south. At Northwest 64th Street, Flathers came to a stop on the entrance ramp and tried to do a U-turn to travel the wrong way back to 64th Street.
When the patrolman blocked Flathers’ path with his vehicle, Flathers rammed the stolen truck into the patrol car head-on and continued west on 64th Street. Kansas City police and the Highway Patrol chased the vehicle west to Interstate 435, where the Kansas City police helicopter also joined the chase. While on Highway 45, Flathers traveled on the wrong side twice, almost striking oncoming vehicles.
Flathers entered the wrong side of I-435, according to court documents, and traveled south in the northbound lanes with the police helicopter in pursuit. In Kansas, the truck crashed east of 97th Street and Flathers was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for a gunshot wound he had suffered the day before.
In the statement of probable cause, the Highway Patrol trooper said he believed Flathers posed a danger to the community due to his actions and likely would not appear in court when summoned.