A 59-year-old Eden Valley man pulled up next to two squad cars on Powder Ridge Road on Nov. 8, said “what is up?” and sped off, according to the complaint.
The complaint says it was the second time that afternoon the driver had fled. A deputy on patrol near County Road 44 in Fairhaven Township saw a Chevrolet Equinox at about 3:22 p.m. and clocked it with radar at 72 mph in a 55 mph zone. The deputy got behind it and turned on his lights, but the driver kept going on 73rd Avenue. When the deputy turned on his siren the driver sped away, the complaint says. The deputy lost sight of the Equinox and ended the pursuit.
Law enforcement expected the driver to take Powder Ridge Road. Two deputies stopped there and saw the Equinox coming toward them. When one turned on his emergency lights, the driver made a U-turn and stopped next to the squad cars. The driver, who is also the registered owner, spoke and then sped off again. A deputy looked up the owner and confirmed it was Kelly James Maurer.
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A trooper found the Equinox a short time later at a gas station in Meeker County. Officers there noticed a strong smell of alcohol on Maurer’s breath and saw that his eyes were bloodshot and watery, the complaint says. It describes him as argumentative throughout. He declined field sobriety tests.
Officers got a search warrant for his blood or urine at 4:45 p.m. The complaint says Maurer declined to give blood but offered a urine sample. He insisted on holding the collection bottle and gave nothing after several minutes. On a second try he began to urinate but not into the bottle. Officers had to grab his hand to position it. Only about a quarter of the bottle was filled. A deputy believed he was trying to give an insufficient sample. The sample went to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing.
Maurer is charged in Stearns County District Court in a complaint filed Nov. 9. Fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, a felony, carries up to three years in prison or a $5,000 fine or both. DWI, a misdemeanor, carries up to 90 days or a $1,000 fine or both.
