A motorcyclist died on Wednesday evening while leading police on a high-speed chase.
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Traffic control leads to chase
Just before 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 21, a Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a Yamaha near Tiffin for “traffic violations.” The driver “refused to stop for police” and “rapidly accelerated” away from the deputy, a sheriff’s office news release said.
The sheriff’s office identified 33-year-old Joseph Halstead of Wellman as the motorcyclist.
Halstead “continued to ride erratically” through Tiffin on Highway 6, reaching speeds “in excess of 100 miles per hour,” police said. He turned onto Highway 109 toward Oxford and lost control of his bicycle near the intersection of South Augusta Avenue and 295 Street NW.
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Police initiated “immediate life-saving measures,” but Halstead was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the cause of the accident.
Ryan Hansen covers local politics and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
