JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Melissa D. Johnson, 43, of Mexico, is being held without bond in the Cole County Jail after leading police on a dangerous high-speed chase following an attempted fraudulent bank transaction.
On Monday at 11:04 a.m., Jefferson City police responded to a report at a bank on Eastland Drive where Johnson was trying to cash a check drawn from the account of a deceased individual.
Officers approached Johnson, who was sitting in her car in the bank’s drive-through lane, and asked her to pull out of line. When she was informed she was not free to leave, Johnson accelerated away, initiating a chase.
The pursuit lasted 29 minutes, with Johnson reaching speeds over 80 mph, driving recklessly on shoulders and into oncoming traffic on Highway 63. She also went off the road while evading spike strips and attempting to pass other vehicles.
The chase ended near Vienna when Johnson collided with two other vehicles.
During a search of her vehicle, officers found drug paraphernalia.
Johnson now faces felony charges including forgery and aggravated fleeing a stop or detention, along with misdemeanor charges of accessory to identity theft and operating a vehicle without a valid license.
Additionally, prosecutors in Maries County charged her with aggravated fleeing causing physical injury.
Johnson remains in custody without bond.
