Moniteau County man charged after recent high-speed chase

Cole County prosecutors Friday charged Jacob C. Cardwell, 32, California, Mo., with resisting a lawful traffic stop - a Class D felony that, if there's a conviction, could result in a sentence of up to four years in prison.

Cardwell lives at 54693 Lookout Trail, which is in Moniteau County, west of Centertown.

But his charge follows a Jefferson City police traffic stop attempt at Bubba Lane and Southridge Drive, at about 10:42 p.m. on April 9.

Officer Cody Oseth wrote in his probable cause statement, filed with the charge, that he wanted to question Cardwell about a "license plate light non-functioning and an improper display (the vehicle plates did not check to the vehicle they were installed on)."

But Cardwell didn't stop for Oseth's emergency lights, and police chased him westbound on U.S. 54 from Ellis Boulevard to just past the Missouri 179 interchange, where Cardwell's vehicle crossed over to Renns Lake Road, which runs parallel to the highway.

After the car crashed into a tree in the yard of a home in the Renns Lake neighborhood, police said Cardwell ran into the nearby woods.

The probable cause statement said Cardwell also appeared to violate the laws against careless and imprudent driving, resisting arrest and leaving the scene of an accident.

Those were not included in the one charge filed Friday.

That charge identifies Cardwell as a prior offender, because he was convicted of forgery on Feb. 8, 2013, in Cole County.

Associate Circuit Judge Thomas Sodergren set bond at $5,000 on the new charge.

The prosecutor's paperwork said Cardwell had not been arrested as of Friday.

The probable cause statement said Cardwell also "has an active, full U.S. extradition felony warrant for his arrest."