Chase in Racine, rear-end collision; charges against 2 men

RACINE, Wis. – The Racine County District Attorney's Office filed charges against two men after an attempted traffic stop on Monday led to a chase and subsequent pile-up.

According to a criminal complaint, the person who caused the accident was 23-year-old Charles Canady. His passenger, 21-year-old Artrelas Ray, had gotten out of the SUV before the accident – there was an arrest warrant against him.

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Prosecutors said police were searching for the SUV that fled a traffic stop Sunday and found it while on patrol near Memorial and Washington. Officers initiated a traffic stop and the SUV stopped in a parking lot.

A passenger – later identified as Ray – got out and ran across the parking lot, the complaint states. One officer ran after Ray while the other went to the SUV. The officer saw Canady in the driver's seat before the vehicle sped away.

According to prosecutors, Racine County Sheriff's officers spotted the SUV fleeing south on Memorial Avenue. They turned on their headlights and made a U-turn to stop traffic. By that point, the SUV was speeding into oncoming traffic. The officer followed the SUV for about two blocks before the SUV collided head-on with a car, clipped another and struck three parked cars.

The complaint states that the driver of the car that was hit head-on suffered a broken sternum and his car was a total loss. There were three people in the vehicle that was hit from the side and was also a total loss; two of the three were taken to hospital, while the third suffered minor injuries. Two of the parked vehicles were also a total loss; the third parked vehicle had minor damage.

The complaint did not mention any injuries Canady may have sustained or the condition of the SUV he was driving.

In custody

Prosecutors said Canady admitted while in custody that he fled the traffic stop. In total, he is charged with nine crimes:

• Attempting to flee or elude an officer
• Fleeing/escape of a driver from an officer, resulting in serious bodily harm (four charges)
• First-degree reckless endangerment of safety (four counts)

According to court records, his bail was set at $10,000 on Tuesday and he was also charged with driving while suspended and reckless driving.

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The complaint states that Ray ignored the officer's orders to stop and refused to put his hands behind his back when the officer caught him. Ultimately, it took several officers to arrest him.

In total, Ray is charged with two misdemeanors – obstructing and resisting an officer – and two counts of jumping bail. His bail was set at $5,000 on Tuesday.