Surrett to serve 15 years in prison for high-speed chase, crash

CEDAR RAPIDS - James Surrett, who led police on a high-speed chase and then crashed into a school bus and a pickup driven by a pregnant woman in February, told a judge Monday his behavior stemmed from mental illness and drug addiction, and asked to be placed in a residential facility, instead of prison.

Surrett, 46, apologized in a statement, read by his attorney David Grinde, to 'anyone affected” by his actions that day. He said has a mental illness and substance abuse problem, which is 'embarrassing” to admit, and that he had been taking medication for depression, anxiety and mood disorder, but then substituted methamphetamine for those medications. His mental illness played a big part in his actions that day and in his past problems, he said.

'But I am the reason I am here today,” Surrett said in the statement.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Robert Sosalla told Surrett some people commit crimes stemming from substance abuse issues and may also have mental health issues, but that Surrett isn't one of them.

'You're a criminal who abuses substances and who happens to have mental health issues,” he told Surrett.

Sosalla sentenced Surrett to 15 years in prison for attempting to elude and being a habitual offender with eight previous felony convictions. Surrett will have to serve a mandatory of three years before being eligible for parole. Sosalla also told Surrett he will receive a mental health evaluation at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville when he goes through prison intake, which may address his needs.

The judge also dismissed several other misdemeanor counts as part of the plea agreement.

Assistant Linn County attorney Jason Besler asked the judge to impose the prison time because Surrett has a lengthy criminal history including felonies, multiple escapes and revocation of probation more than once, and he endangered numerous people in the February crash. The students on the bus were not hurt, but the bus driver and the pickup driver, who was pregnant, and her child suffered minor injuries.

Surrett pleaded guilty to the charges in August. During that hearing, he admitted not pulling over when Linn County deputies in a marked vehicle signaled for him to stop on Highway 13, south of Mount Vernon Road, on Feb. 10. He also admitted he led the deputies on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of up to 100 mph, then crashed into a Cedar Rapids Community School District bus and a pickup on First Street SW, near Riverside Park, ending the chase. The students and staff members on the bus were not injured, but Surrett admitted to causing bodily injury to the driver of the pickup, who was pregnant at the time, and her young child. They were treated at a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Surrett posted bond in the eluding case and was arrested again about eight days later for assaulting and confining a woman against her will and threatening her. Those charges are among those dismissed by the court Monday.

While out on bond in the assault case, Surrett was wanted by the Linn County Sheriff's Office for violation of a no contact order. According to the U.S. Marshals, the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force was called out to assist when Surrett's location was tracked to a home in Norway on July 13.

Authorities said Surrett fled the home in a stolen vehicle through an adjacent field and led officers from the Marshals Service, Iowa State Patrol and several other agencies on a chase through Benton and Iowa counties. Surrett then abandoned the stolen vehicle and fled on foot into a West Amana home, authorities said. With the help of a K-9 officer, the marshals found Surrett hiding in a back room of the house and he was taken into custody.

Surrett was sentenced to seven days in jail for violating the no contact order.