An Urbandale man was taken into custody following a multi-county pursuit early Sunday morning. At approximately 12:12 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, a Guthrie County Sheriff deputy attempted to make a routine traffic stop on a westbound Ford Bronco, operated by 42-year-old Lee Pickrel for excessive speeding on Highway 44 between Guthrie Center and Panora. Pickrel failed to yield to law enforcement, fleeing westbound reaching speeds up to 113 miles per hour. The pursuit continued into Audubon County, where the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office deployed spike strips to stop the eluding vehicle near Hamlin. Pickrel was transported by Audubon County EMS for medical treatment before being taken into custody at the Guthrie County Jail where he remains as of this (Monday) afternoon. Prickel is facing charges of eluding, 25 mph over limit, a class D felony, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana and methamphetamine, serious misdemeanors, along with several traffic violations and operating while intoxicated (OWI), pending lab results. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13 at the Guthrie County Courthouse. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, Audubon Police Department, Audubon County EMS, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in the pursuit.
