Lee’s Summit man faces criminal charges after high-speed chase

Jackson County prosecutors have filed charges against a 39-year-old man accused of ramming his vehicle into an Independence police car before leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in Kansas City, Kan.

Gene F. Madden of Lee’s Summit faces charges of vehicle tampering and resisting arrest in connection with the incident that began just after 9 a.m. Tuesday in Independence.

According to court records, Kansas City police officers in an unmarked car alerted Independence police that they were following a Ford F-350 that had been reported stolen out of Prairie Village.

Madden and a female passenger stopped at the Missouri Probation and Parole Office near 42nd Street and Noland Road. Madden stayed in the pickup while the woman went inside. Independence police tried to block the truck from leaving, but Madden’s truck rammed a patrol car and a parked car before speeding away.

Independence police followed him into Kansas City and across Interstate 70 into Kansas City, Kan. Other law enforcement agencies, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, joined the pursuit.

Madden eventually sped south on Interstate 635 and north on Interstate 35, exiting at Southwest Boulevard. He swerved through heavy traffic and through two construction zones. The truck’s speed reached 118 mph.

He then drove through a residential area and into a backyard in the 3800 block of Lloyd Street. Madden drove into a wooded area and fled the truck. Officers set up a search perimeter but did not find him.

Police arrested Madden on Tuesday evening after he sought medical treatment at the University of Kansas Hospital.

He is being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond, according to court records.

This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Lee’s Summit man faces criminal charges after high-speed chase."