ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Tuesday sentenced a felon who caused a serious accident after fleeing from police to 70 months in prison.

Juan Goodrich, 33, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in August to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On the evening of April 2, 2024, a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer spotted a 2014 Chrysler 200 running a red light at North Kingshighway Boulevard and Natural Bridge Avenue. Goodrich sped away, running another red light and later running a stop sign. A computer inquiry showed that his license plate was invalid. When the officer tried to stop Goodrich by activating the lights and siren, he refused to stop, continuing at speeds exceeding 80 m.p.h. The officer turned off the lights and siren due to safety concerns, but Goodrich continued to speed through the streets. He ran another red light and his vehicle began to wobble before striking a 2009 Nissan Maxima head-on. The Maxima’s 52-year-old driver was trapped in her vehicle with major injuries. Goodrich got out of his vehicle, holding a black AR-15-style rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, and ran. He stumbled and fell, dropping the rifle, and then continued to run. He was arrested and admitted being a felon and possessing a firearm.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.