Lang
8/21/21
A Coralville woman accused of leading police on a brief car chase allegedly told investigators she didn’t stop because she had to use the restroom.
According to arrest records, Coralville Police noticed a 2009 Ford Fusion with an expired registration travelling westbound on the 1700 block of 5th Street just before 2:30 Friday morning. The officer turned around to initiate a traffic stop, at which point the vehicle allegedly accelerated above the speed limit. As the car approached the intersection of 20th Avenue and 5th Street, the officer activated his lights and siren.
The car allegedly continued speeding, turning right at 8th Street and 20th Avenue before pulling into a parking lot at 2032 9th Street. Police say the driver then ran inside the building, ignoring vocal commands by officers to stop.
A man identifying himself as the woman’s boyfriend then came out of the building and said he’d come outside and noticed his car was not in the parking lot. He added that his girlfriend…identified as 22-year-old Chianne Phipps…was the only other person with access to the vehicle.
Investigators eventually made contact with Phipps, who allegedly told them she didn’t stop because she had to use the restroom. When asked why she was driving on a barred license, Phipps reportedly said she thought she was only suspended, and just needed to go to the gas station.
Phipps was charged with Eluding and Driving While Barred. If convicted, she faces a maximum of three years in prison.
