Storm Lake Woman Faces Felony Charges After High-Speed Chase With Three Children Inside

Three children under the age of seven sat unrestrained in the back of a black 2007 Infiniti G35 as Roda Girah, 24, of Sioux City, accelerated away from Storm Lake Police on the evening of Saturday, March 28, setting off a pursuit through city streets that ended with Girah physically removed from the vehicle and booked on felony charges.

Officers first spotted the Infiniti traveling at high speed on the shoulder near Abner Bell Road and West Milwaukee Avenue, at the southern entry to Storm Lake. When officers attempted a stop, Girah accelerated and drove erratically through the city before the chase concluded several blocks later in the 400 block of East 13th Street. She refused to exit the vehicle and was removed by force.

Girah was transported to the Buena Vista County Jail and charged with felony eluding, three counts of child endangerment, operating while intoxicated, hemp inhalation, open container, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, and failure to secure a child. Bond was set at $5,000. Officers found multiple alcohol containers and a THC vape device inside the car; police say Girah also showed visible signs of alcohol consumption.

None of the three children, all under seven, were secured in any restraint. In a crash at pursuit speeds, an unrestrained child becomes a projectile inside the cabin. Car seat use reduces the risk of a child's injury by approximately 71 to 82 percent compared to a seat belt alone, and booster seat use reduced the risk of injury to four-to-eight-year-olds by approximately 45 percent compared to seat belt use alone. The absence of any restraint forms the legal basis for each of the three child endangerment counts.

Iowa law is direct on the requirement. Under Iowa Code Section 321.446, any child under the age of six must be secured in a child restraint system, a car seat or booster seat meeting federal safety standards. A child from age six up to age eleven must be secured in a child restraint system or by a safety belt. The driver is responsible for the fine, and a violation carries a misdemeanor fine totaling at least $83. Criminal child endangerment charges carry consequences far beyond that. All car seats and child restraint systems should be used according to manufacturer directions and adequately secured to the vehicle. Parents can confirm correct installation by contacting an NHTSA-certified child passenger safety technician.

The Storm Lake Police Department's decision to pursue the vehicle through populated residential streets reflects a real-time policy judgment: does the danger posed by a fleeing driver outweigh the risk a pursuit itself creates for pedestrians and nearby motorists? Under Iowa Code Section 321.279, a driver commits a class "D" felony if they willfully fail to bring a motor vehicle to a stop or otherwise elude a marked official law enforcement vehicle driven by a uniformed peace officer, and in doing so exceed the speed limit by twenty-five miles per hour or more while also in violation of the OWI statute. In this case, the alleged combination of high speed on the shoulder, apparent intoxication, and three unrestrained children sharpened that calculus. Whether SLPD's pursuit criteria face scrutiny in court filings or an internal review remains an open question; the case is expected to move through Buena Vista County District Court as the charges are processed.