Burlington Man Leads Police on High-Speed Chase After Hit-And-Run

What started as a simple "fender-bender" in Burlington quickly spiraled into a chaotic chain of events involving a hit-and-run crash, a high-speed pursuit, a firearm, and even a smoke grenade, according to the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office.

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Deputies say the incident unfolded around 8:50 PM on May 12th near South Street and South Central Avenue, where law enforcement observed a pickup truck following another vehicle too closely. Authorities say the truck then struck the other vehicle and immediately fled the scene of the accident.

Deputies attempted to stop the driver, but instead he led officers on a chase. The suspect was said to have sped through Burlington streets, reaching speeds of roughly 60 miles per hour, 40 mph over the posted speed limit. The driver also ran a stop sign at South Central Avenue and Harrison Avenue before eventually crashing after striking a curb near South 12th Street and Hedge Avenue.

Credit: Google Maps

The scene became even more intense for police when the driver exited the wrecked vehicle and removed a firearm from his waistband. The driver then placed the gun into the bed of the truck before being taken into custody. The driver has now been identified as 32-year-old Trent Lucas Shaffer of Burlington.

Authorities reported detecting the odor of alcohol coming from Shaffer and said he displayed several signs of intoxication. Deputies stated Shaffer agreed to perform two standardized field sobriety tests but failed both before refusing to complete a third test or submit to a preliminary breath test. During a search of the vehicle, deputies discovered an open container of alcohol along with a smoke grenade.

Shaffer was promptly transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center, where authorities say he refused an additional breath test. He now faces multiple charges, including operating while intoxicated, eluding while exceeding the speed limit by more than 25 mph, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, open container, persons ineligible to carry dangerous weapons, and unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon.

As with any criminal cases, the charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.