By Richard Meryhew
Minneapolis Star Tribune
BREWSTER, Minn. — After it all ended, one county east of where it began, an allegedly intoxicated McNab, 26, of Brewster, Minn., got himself a night in jail and a day-time appointment in court.
Taken to the Nobles County jail, McNab was asked if he wanted to contact an attorney. He told police he “was not able to make a decision because he was too drunk,” the police report said.
On Wednesday, he was hit with a sheet full of charges that included assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, driving while impaired and speeding. Free on bail after being charged, McNab didn’t return phone calls to talk about the chase.
According to a police report and a criminal complaint filed in court:
The incident began shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday when Worthington police officer Kristi Gertsema spotted McNab’s green Ford Mustang veering across a center line near downtown Worthington.
Gertsema followed McNab’s car, but the Mustang sped up.
When the officer flipped on her squad’s siren and lights, McNab continued to accelerate, going so fast that his car couldn’t make the turn onto northbound Hwy. 60.
McNab drove into a hotel parking lot, spun his car around, then drove at Gertsema’s squad, sideswiping it as she tried to avoid a collision.
Stop sticks failed to stop him
McNab then drove over some grass and through a ditch and sent the Mustang airborne, landing on Hwy. 60 and racing north toward Windom at speeds in excess of 130 mph.
Windom police placed stop sticks near an intersection, but McNab’s car missed the sticks and he raced toward town before turning south onto Hwy. 71 heading for Jackson.
A few miles later, McNab raced over second set of stop sticks, which punctured a front tire. Yet, he drove on, racing another 7 or 8 miles into Jackson at speeds up to 110 miles per hour.
By the time McNab reached Jackson the tire had lost so much rubber that the rim was hitting pavement and throwing sparks. McNab drove six more blocks before stopping.
“After he was throwing sparks for a while he must have decided on his own it was a good choice to stop,” said Worthington Police Chief Mike Cumiskey, who was not involved in the pursuit.
Stayed out of downtowns
As police ordered McNab from his car, a small dog also jumped out and ran around.
“I’m drunk, I’m drunk,” he allegedly told police after he stepped from his car.
He also tried to vomit while taking a blood-alcohol test, and later said he was too drunk to provide a urine sample, according to the report.
A breath test showed a blood-alcohol concentration of .17, more than twice the legal limit, the complaint said.
“It was very dangerous,” Cumiskey said of the chase. “But if there was a safe time to have one, that was probably the safest time to have one going on.
“He didn’t run through the middle of the city of Windom, and he didn’t make it too far into the city of Jackson. This guy messed up his car, but we didn’t have anybody injured, including the little dog. It turned out OK.”
Except for McNab, whose next court appearance is scheduled for July 24.
Copyright 2007 Minneapolis Star-Tribune