Mineral County, Nev. — Three Nevada residents were arrested Jan. 8, following a high-speed pursuit that crossed state lines and reached speeds of more than 140 miles per hour, according to the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
The incident began at approximately 12:09 p.m. when MCSO deputies were alerted to a stolen silver 2015 Mercedes four-door bearing Oregon license plates. A FLOCK License Plate Reader technology traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 95 toward Hawthorne detected the vehicle.
Deputies located the Mercedes at the Chevron station at 1075 U.S. 95 and attempted to prevent a pursuit by boxing in the vehicle. Authorities say the driver lunged the car forward and then reversed into a patrol vehicle, striking it to create an escape route before fleeing the scene.
The suspects traveled southbound through Hawthorne and continued onto State Route 359 at speeds exceeding 100mph. As the pursuit progressed toward the California state line, MCSO requested assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Mono County Sheriff’s Office.
During the chase, the vehicle reached extreme speeds of more than 140 mph while fleeing through Mineral County, Nevada, and Mono County, California. Deputies deployed spike strips near the junction of State Route 167 and U.S. Highway 395, but the vehicle continued to evade law enforcement.
The pursuit ended when the driver turned onto Goat Ranch Road in Mono County before crashing and coming to rest on its roof.
Following the crash, three occupants attempted to flee on foot. The suspects are Kevin Lerus, Fontaine Smith, and Cheyenne Cottle, and are booked into the Mono County Jail.
Authorities said the suspects face multiple charges in both Nevada and California, including possession of a stolen vehicle, felony eluding, and battery on a peace officer. The investigation remains ongoing.
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