Mother Nature helped end a pursuit on May 24 in Dearborn, according to court documents.
The pursuit by the Missouri State Highway Patrol began after seeing a white Ford F-150 driving with expired tags and on plates registered to a 2003 GMC truck. It ended when the truck got stuck while driving through a muddy yard inside the Dearborn city limits.
Cavness
Both windows were down in the vehicle despite rain falling in the area, which caught the trooper’s attention as well.
A traffic stop was attempted in the northbound lanes of Interstate 29 near mile marker 28.
The truck driven by Billy Ray Cavness failed to yield and exited on Route Z.
The pickup traveled off the road, into a ditch and back on the road. Cavness then passed a vehicle near Hackett Road in the opposite lane of traffic. The pursuit then went into the Dearborn city limits. Speeds were 70 miles per hour in the city and Cavness ran a stop sign. He turned from Third Street to Montague Street before driving into a private driveway and drove into the yard at 512 E. Third Street. The truck got stuck in the mud and the pursuit ended at 11:31 p.m., six minutes after it started.
Paxton
Cavness, 47, of St. Joseph, and a passenger, Alyssa A. Paxton, 28, of Amazonia, were arrested. Paxton was observed reaching into her jacket and place an item between the front passenger seat and front passenger door while Cavness was being handcuffed, according to documents.
A small plastic container was found with less than a gram of methamphetamine and one gram of marijuana. There were two hypodermic needles in her purse and two baggies with 71 grams of methamphetamine were found under the rear passenger seat.
The ignition had been tampered with and was turned off and on by a pocket knife belonging to Cavness.
The owner stated the vehicle was supposed to be parked at his place of employment and didn’t give either permission to use it.
Both suspects were on federal probation for distribution of a controlled substance.
Cavness is facing charges of tampering with a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest by fleeing. He pleaded not guilty on May 28.
Paxton drew charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She also appeared in court on May 28 and pleaded not guilty.
As of press time, they are still both in custody in Platte City. Cavness has a $15,000 cash only bond and Paxton has a $10,000 cash only bond.