Over 200 grams of meth found after high-speed chase on I-90

Published 10:11 pm Thursday, August 12, 2021

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A Crystal man is facing multiple charges after a chase on Interstate 90 Tuesday night with speeds of over 130 mph. 

Matthew Ingram

Matthew Douglas Ingram, 34, faces one count of felony fleeing police in a motor vehicle, one count of felony first-degree controlled substance crime, one count of felon in possession of a stun gun, two counts of third-degree gross misdemeanor DWI and one count of misdemeanor driving after revocation.

Court documents state at about 11:24 p.m. Tuesday a Minnesota State Patrol trooper was on duty patrolling in a fully marked squad car in Austin when he was sent out to a driving complaint on I-90. A driver was reportedly crossing the center and fog lines at varying speeds.

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The plate number came back to a 2005 Lincoln LS, with an expired registration.

The trooper drove onto I-90 at the 180 mile marker in Austin to try to find the driver and observed the vehicle go by him. The trooper then reportedly saw the vehicle cross the fog line two times.

The trooper turned on his emergency lights to pull over the vehicle west of mile marker 174 in Freeborn County, and the vehicle began slowing down and pulling over briefly before accelerating rapidly. The trooper then turned on his sirens and began pursuing the vehicle.

Court documents state the vehicle reached speeds up to 134 mph and was damaged after running over stop sticks at mile marker 166 near the Oakland exit. The vehicle was completely disabled and came to a rest near mile marker 159, which is near the exit to the Interstate 35 interchange.

Authorities found an electric stun gun on the floor near where Ingram’s feet would have been. They also found a hidden compartment containing small bags of methamphetamine, totaling 203 grams, along with two glass pipes and a scale, court records state.

Ingram reportedly told troopers he was coming back from Rochester and was going to his wife’s house in Albert Lea. He said he did not stop because he had a lot on his mind.

The report stated his pupils were dilated and reacted slowly to a trooper’s flashlight. He was also reportedly sweating profusely.

Officers took a blood sample from him with a DWI search warrant, along with a DNA sample with a swab inside his cheek.

His driving privileges had been previously revoked.

Ingram appeared on the charges Thursday in Freeborn County District Court. Freeborn County District Court Judge Ross Leuning set conditional bail at $25,000.

Ingram is next slated to appear in court Aug. 26.