Traverse City man pleads not guilty after Memorial Day chase in county
A Traverse City man pleaded not guilty after a county chase that injured two passengers, damaged two sheriff’s vehicles and may bring more charges.
Two passengers were hurt and two sheriff’s office vehicles were damaged after a late-night pursuit that began near U.S.-31 and 3 Mile Road in East Bay Township and ended near Herkner Road and North Long Lake Road, putting drivers and deputies at risk across Grand Traverse County.
The Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office said the chase started just before 11 p.m. Friday, May 22, after a deputy tried to stop a silver Jeep Cherokee that had nearly rear-ended a deputy. The pursuit ran westbound through Traverse City and Garfield Township before ending when the vehicle went into a ditch and struck a sheriff’s office vehicle.
Authorities identified the driver as Trevon Lewis, a 30-year-old Traverse City man. Initial reported charges included fleeing and eluding, operating while impaired, resisting and obstructing, four counts of felonious assault on a police officer, driving while license suspended and open intoxicant. Lewis pleaded not guilty Monday, May 26, and the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor’s Office said the list of charges will likely grow.
The chase also left passengers injured. A 62-year-old Traverse City woman jumped from the vehicle during the pursuit and was hospitalized, while a 31-year-old Benzonia man was treated for minor injuries and released. Prosecutors said the woman is not expected to face charges.
The not-guilty plea means the case is now moving through the court process, with Lewis set to contest the allegations unless the matter is resolved before trial. The filing of more charges would point to additional review by investigators and prosecutors as they sort out what happened during the pursuit, including the alleged attempt to strike a deputy who was outside his vehicle and the collision with a patrol car.
Under Michigan law, fleeing and eluding a police officer is a felony when a driver willfully ignores a signal to stop. Assaulting or obstructing a person known to be performing official duties is also a felony, with penalties that increase if injury results. The stakes are high in a county where a single pursuit can race through multiple townships, tie up law enforcement and turn a busy holiday travel period into a public-safety emergency.
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