CC man arrested after high-speed chase in Mason City

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man is in the Cerro Gordo County Jail after allegedly leading police on a chase exceeding 100 miles per hour near Mason City, which ended when a sheriff’s deputy purposefully struck the man’s vehicle.

Mason City police attempted to stop a 1993 Olds Cutlass at 3:48 a.m. Wednesday for speeding and a stop sign violation near Highway 122 East and South Pennsylvania Avenue, according to a press release from the department.

Driver Andrew Kroeze, 22, refused to stop and accelerated outside Mason City limits. A Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office deputy joined Mason City police in the chase, which took place across 10 miles, Mason City Police Captain Mike McKelvey told the Press.

Police report Kroeze drove a short distance outside city limits before turning around and driving back into Mason City.

Kroeze’s vehicle reached speeds between 100 to 110 miles per hour at the height of the incident, McKelvey said. Officers were unable to use stop sticks to puncture his car’s tires due to the high rate of speed and directional changes.

The sheriff’s deputy deliberately struck Kroeze’s vehicle near Highway 122 and Illinois, ending the pursuit as Kroeze was driving at a slower speed. There were no injuries, and property damage was limited to the two vehicles, which were disabled by the collision.

Kroeze was arrested at the scene for eluding, a class D felony; escape from custody in Webster County, a serious misdemeanor; and parole and probation revocation. Kroeze was booked at the Cerro Gordo County Jail at 5 a.m.

Kroeze received additional charges after the booking process and vehicle impound. Officers allege Kroeze had methamphetamine hidden that “he tried to conceal, displace, or discard at the Cerro-Gordo County Jail,” according to the report.

Officers saw Kroeze fidgeting while he was handcuffed and had him open his hands, discovering two small baggies of methamphetamine that had been hidden on his person, McKelvey said.

Kroeze was charged with possession of meth, a serious misdemeanor; possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor; and possessing and conveying contraband into a correctional facility, a class D felony.