By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
In the early morning hours of Friday, two police cars sustained damage after an attempt to pull over a speeding vehicle in downtown Hays turned hostile.
At around 2 a.m., officers observed a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed through the intersection of Main and 12th, according to Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler.
"The officer attempted to stop the vehicle and activated his lights and siren and pursued after the vehicle, but the vehicle refused to yield," he said.
The vehicle then turned on 12th, moved onto 11th and then back to 12th.
"As the vehicle was driving westbound on 12th Street, it came to the intersection of 12th and Milner, made a left turn and rammed into the front end of a patrol car that was on Milner," Schiebler said. "The vehicle then backed up and rammed the patrol vehicle again in an effort to try and pass it."
The suspect tried pushing the police car out of the way, he said. Once the driver realized getting past the police car was not possible, the driver reversed, hitting another patrol car.
A trailer parked in the area was also struck during the incident.
Officers were then able to pin the suspect's vehicle between the police cars and apprehended the driver without incident.
The driver was identified as Melissa Dawn Oldfield, 35, Hays.
After being detained, Oldfield was transported to Hays Medical Center for injuries sustained during the incident. A passenger in the vehicle also appeared to sustain minor injuries but denied treatment at the scene, Scheibler said.
"Once the officers got her safely into custody, they immediately moved to get them medical assistance," he said. "They did a great job getting her into custody and then deescalating the situation and getting them the treatment they needed and then working the DUI and gathering the evidence."
Upon release from the hospital, Oldfield was transported to the Ellis County jail on suspicion of transporting an open container, driving under the influence, flee and attempt to elude law enforcement, criminal damage to property, aggravated battery, and two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.
Eight traffic violations were also noted during the pursuit, Scheibler said.
Estimated damage to the vehicles is approximately $15,000, he added.
The suspect vehicle and the first police car that was struck were towed from the scene.
"The officers did an outstanding job of stopping the suspect that was engaging in reckless and dangerous behavior," Scheibler said.
A bond hearing was held later the same day.
Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees requested a $60,000 bond, but the court granted Oldfield an own-recognizance bond to be supervised by the court services office, according to Drees.
Release conditions include a no-contact order with the passenger of the vehicle, a mandatory alcohol evaluation within 30 days, no use of alcohol or drugs with random testing, restricted driving and, if available, SCRAM monitoring (a transdermal system for monitoring alcohol use, he said.