Cedar Rapids man flees with no headlights on, crashes into tree

CEDAR RAPIDS - A Cedar Rapids man fled from police and crashed into a tree with a 3-year-old child in his vehicle, police said.

According to public safety spokesman Greg Buelow, around 6 p.m. Thursday, officers attempted to pull over 26-year-old Coady S. Hartwig near Oakland Road and H Street NE when they noticed his license plate did not match his vehicle. Rather than stop, Hartwig took off at a high rate of speed and turned off his headlights, police said.

Police said Hartwig ran a stop sign at E Avenue and 16th Street NE and then nearly hit a parked car while driving with his headlights off. Hartwig swerved to miss a second parked car, lost control of his vehicle and hit a tree in the front yard of a home in the 1800 block of J Avenue NE, police said.

Hartwig tried to flee on foot, but was quickly captured. Inside the vehicle was a 22-year-old woman and a 3-year-old child, police said. Neither of them were injured and they stayed in the vehicle after Hartwig crashed it, police said.

Hartwig was arrested and faces charges of child endangerment, interference with official acts, driving with a suspended license, eluding and a host of moving violations.