Man in custody after 120-mph chase through Oelwein

UPDATE: Police arrested a St. Louis man Monday after a police chase through Oelwein that topped speeds of more than 120 mph.

Erione C. Watson, 21, is accused of running 10 stop signs during the chase, which ended when Watson lost control near the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 187 in Buchanan County. No one was hurt in the incident, police said.

Oelwein police received a report around 10:35 a.m. Monday of an erratic driver coming into the city on Highway 150. When an officer tried to stop the vehicle, the driver accelerated away. The chase continued at speeds of more than 60 mph through northeast and southeast Oelwein, and the suspect even drove through a residential yard as he came up to a dead-end street.

The driver went east on Highway 3 out of Oelwein, and then south on Highway 187 at speeds of more than 120 mph. At one point, he was traveling more than 100 mph in a construction zone, police said.

Oelwein Police Chief Jeremy Logan said Watson was enrolled at Upper Iowa University.

Logan said his officers and six other agencies “performed in a professional manner that was in the best interest of the public” to eventually catch the suspect. He said officers continually assess whether a pursuit should be discontinued.

“The outcome could have been very different,” Logan said. “We're fortunate the officers used the appropriate amount of caution in this situation.”

Watson was charged with attempting to elude, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, failure to maintain control and several other traffic charges. Logan declined to say how much marijuana was found.

Watson remained in custody Tuesday at the Fayette County Jail in West Union in lieu of $50,000 cash bond.