Two arrested after police pursuit near bike race in Lyon County leads to deputy’s vehicle hit, rolled over

LYON COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) - The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office says two people have been arrested after a police pursuit near the Unbound Gravel Bike Race led to sheriff’s deputy vehicle being hit and rolled over in a ditch.

On Saturday morning, deputies with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office were conducting traffic control near the bike race. At around 5:55 a.m. a Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Kaitlynn Mundell, 32 of Emporia disobeyed traffic control and drove through the intersection at Road J and Road 240 without slowing down. A deputy attempted to stop the vehicle when the vehicle fled east bound. Deputies pursued the vehicle to Road 250 and Road S when it turned back westbound and ran a stop sign

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office says that is when the pursuit stopped. Instead deputies began positioning to prevent the vehicle from entering the bike race route.

Mundell turned the truck around and went back east where it passed three deputies and failed to stop. Mundell then turned south on Highway 99 towards Emporia.

The sheriff’s office says due to the number of pedestrians and bicycles in Emporia at the time, a decision was made to use measures to disable the truck.

In the 2200 block of N. Highway 99, a deputy was able to get in front of the truck in an attempt to slow it down. The truck attempted to pass the deputy in a ditch, but when the truck came out of the ditch, it struck the deputy’s vehicle causing it to slide into the ditch and roll over. The vehicle ended upright after rolling out.

Mundell continued driving towards Emporia. Lyon County deputies and Emporia Police continued to look for the truck, finding it at around 6:24 a.m. at 8th Ave. and Merchant St. Two patrol vehicles blocked the truck in.

Mundell and Preston Ashburn, 42 or Emporia, who was a passenger in the vehicle, refused to exit the vehicle. They were removed by police and taken into custody.

Mundell and Ashburn were booked into the Lyon County Detention Center. Mundell faces charges of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, possession of a controlled substance and multiple traffic charges. Ashburn faces charges of obstruct of legal process and possession of a controlled substance.

The deputy involved in the rollover was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and was released shortly after.