Casper Police: Car ‘Goes Airborne’ During Pursuit

Casper police say a vehicle became airborne at one point during a chase that took officers across Casper College early Saturday morning.

Police arrested Lucas Scott Van Der Molen on recommended charges of eluding police, DUI, reckless driving, driving without insurance and interference with a peace officer.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, a Mills police officer attempted to stop a green passenger car, but the driver fled east on the Yellowstone Highway into Casper.

The affidavit says a Casper police officer drove to First and David Street and saw the vehicle traveling 50 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Another Casper police officer when they saw the vehicle turn onto Wolcott near First Street, the affidavit states. The officer attempted to follow the vehicle but lost track of it after it turned onto Sixth Street.

Police found the vehicle driving normally near South Beech street. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle again The affidavit states the vehicle did not stop for officers, but also did not excessively speed.

Officers followed the vehicle to 15th Street where it allegedly began to accelerate onto Casper Mountain Road. The vehicle continued south at various speeds and at times appeared to be pulling over to stop.

"The vehicle never stopped and began to rapidly accelerate. To keep pace with the vehicle (a police officer) reached speeds of over 70 mph in 30 and 40 mph zones," a police officer writes in the affidavit. "Once at the south end of the college, the vehicle turned into the campus. The vehicle began heading west, then north through the campus toward the dorms at times traveling in the wrong, clearly marked lane of travel."

The affidavit alleges the vehicle turned west onto Campus Drive and began heading back toward Casper Mountain Road. A police officer allegedly saw the vehicle go airborne and hit a traffic sign, "shredding pieces of the vehicle off."

When officers caught back up to the vehicle, they noticed that the front passenger tire was flat and that it was "nearly disabled." The driver again attempted to flee, but quickly gave up, the affidavit states.

The driver, later identified as Van Der Molen, immediately placed both his hands outside of the vehicle without being told to.

Van Der Molen refused to answer questions and, when asked to undergo a field sobriety test due to officer smelling alcohol, he also refused.

Once at the Natrona County Detention Center, Van Der Molen took a breathalyzer, yielding a result of .11%, the affidavit states.