Driver charged after police chase from Wellston ends in crash in St. Louis - STLtoday.com
LOUIS • A driver police suspected of drug activity in Wellston fled an officer's traffic stop, led police on a chase in to St. Louis then crashed into a tree early Monday, injuring the driver and passenger. A North County Police Cooperative officer tried to stop a 2001 Hyundai Elantra about 12:15 a. m. in the 6200 block of Wagner Avenue, an area Chief Tim Swope characterized as "a high drug area. The driver, Joseph Chiste, 24, sped off, but stopped a few blocks away on Stephen Jones Avenue, police said. Chiste then sped off when the officer opened Chiste's door. As the car took off, the officer hooked his left arm inside the driver-side window and suffered bruises, Swope said. The Elantra sped to Page Boulevard and east into St. Louis city, pursued by the North County police officer. The Elantra clipped a Nissan Altima before crashing into a tree near Union Boulevard. The passenger in the Elantra later told police she and Chiste were in the area looking to buy drugs, Swope said. Chiste, who lives in the 4800 block of Cupples Place in St. Louis, was charged Monday with second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer. Swope said he has noticed an increase in drivers fleeing otherwise routine traffic stops in north St. Louis County. Source: www.stltoday.com
