(Michigan City, IN) - A Westville woman allegedly led police on a lengthy motor vehicle chase topping 120 miles per hour with her children riding with her on Monday.
Samantha Jo Ravenscroft, 33, is charged in La Porte Superior Court 4 with resisting law enforcement, battery to a law enforcement officer, possession of methamphetamine, criminal recklessness and two counts of neglect of a dependent.
According to court documents, Ravenscroft was behind the wheel of a car when a Trail Creek Police officer just before 4 a.m. clocked her speeding in the area of U.S. 20 and Johnson Road.
The officer attempted to make a traffic stop but Ravenscroft began accelerating, triggering a pursuit that continued westbound on Interstate 94.
Officers from the Michigan City Police Department and La Porte County Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit, which several miles later veered northbound on U.S. 421 and westbound on 400 North, police said.
At one point during the chase, police said a bag of methamphetamine was tossed out of her passenger side window.
According to court documents, the woman was still traveling at a high rate of speed on County Line Road when stop sticks placed on the pavement by another officer flattened at least one of her tires near U.S. 20. She continued to drive until stopping on Beverly Drive near Mt. Baldy on Michigan City’s west side.
Police said the bag later recovered contained 1.2 grams of methamphetamine.
While transporting her to the La Porte County Jail, police said Ravenscroft from the back seat kicked a sheriff’s deputy operating the vehicle on the right shoulder. He pulled over and waited for other officers, who placed shackles around her legs to prevent the deputy from being kicked again while resuming his trip to the jail.
Police said her 14 year old son and 13 year old daughter were taken to their grandmother’s home in LaCrosse.
Ravenscroft, whose record shows past convictions on lower level felonies and misdemeanors for crimes like possession of a controlled substance, driving on a suspended license and violating probation, was being held without bond pending her initial court appearance.
