Carver County Man Arrested After Allegedly Driving Drunk and Fleeing Police

(KNSI) — A 22-year-old Carver County man was arrested early Sunday morning after police said he was drunk and fled from a traffic stop in St. Cloud.

According to the criminal complaint, a St. Cloud police officer tried to stop Max Robert Sartwell for speeding just after midnight near University Drive and 7th Avenue South. The officer said Sartwell was going 55 in a 30. When the officer activated their emergency lights and sirens and caught up to Sartwell near Washington Memorial Drive, they said he was going between 80 and 90 miles an hour.

Police said Sartwell would not pull over and ran several stop signs. He also evaded a PIT maneuver near Highway 15 and 33rd Street South. The officer said he would terminate the pursuit and notified other officers where Sartwell appeared to be driving.

The criminal complaint said Sartwell called 911 during the chase to tell the dispatchers he would not pull over because his girlfriend had rolled her truck in South Dakota, and he was trying to get to her.

Two Cold Spring police officers put down spike strips, and the criminal complaint says Sartwell was still on the phone with 911 and said he still was not going to pull over.

Sartwell finally did stop near Highway 23 and mile marker 183, where officers conducted a felony stop. During the arrest, one of the police officers noticed the smell of alcohol on Sartwell’s breath and said he had slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes.

Police say they told Sartwell they were going to conduct a breath test, at which time they say he became argumentative, refused to take the test, and became uncooperative.

A search of Sartwell’s criminal history reportedly turned up a DWI conviction from December of 2021 in Carver County.

Sartwell has now been charged in Stearns County with gross misdemeanor DWI and fleeing police, which is a felony. Bail was set at $15,000. His next court appearance is set for February 14th.

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