Crime & Safety

100 MPH Police Chase Begins in Eagan, Ends in Lakeville

Police arrested Dmitri Quillan Van Valkenburg, after the man allegedly fled from officers in a vehicle and on foot.

Despite the fearful pleas of his passenger to stop, police say an intoxicated 38-year-old Bloomington man led officers on a car chase, on March 18, that spanned four cities and reached speeds of 100 MPH before finally ending in .

Dmitri Quillan Van Valkenburg, of Bloomington, faces one felony count of first-degree driving while impaired, one felony count of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and one misdemeanor count of fleeing on foot, among other criminal charges. If convicted of the first-degree DWI, Van Valkenburg could face a maximum of seven years in prison and $14,000 in fines.

A Minnesota State Patrol officer attempted to stop Van Valkenburg around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 18 after witnessing Van Valkenburg's vehicle swerving from side-to-side while traveling westbound on Interstate 494 in Eagan, according to a criminal complaint.

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Rather than pull over, Van Valkenburg allegedly led the officer through Bloomington to southbound Interstate 35W. Police say Van Valkenburg continued on through Burnsville and Lakeville, reaching speeds as fast as 100 MPH before hitting stop sticks near the County Road 29 exit in Lakeville.

Police say Van Valkenburg tossed a beer bottle out of the car, then ditched the vehicle to flee on foot. After a chase that involved a police K-9 unit, officers arrested Van Valkenburg, who allegedly admitted to police that he had been drinking, and had slurred speech, watery eyes and smelled of alcohol.

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Van Valkenburg allegedly refused to perform a preliminary breath test, or give blood or urine tests, according to the criminal complaint filed by the Dakota County Attorney's office. Police discovered that Van Valkenburg's driver's license had also been cancelled since Nov. 2005. The 38-year-old also has two previous felony-level convictions for first-degree DWIs; one in 2008 and the second in 2009.

Van Valkenburg's passenger allegedly told police that he feared for his life during the pursuit and asked the driver to pull over multiple times.

Van Valkenburg is currently being held at Dakota County Jail on a $200,000 bail. His next court date is scheduled for April 17.

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