Chase through North Trenton ends in car crash, injured feet
TRENTON >> A Lawrence resident required medical treatment on his feet Thursday morning after losing his flip flops during a foot chase following a failed attempt to hit a cop with a car.
Vonzell Kelley, 28, allegedly tried to run over a police officer while fleeing a traffic stop with 80 decks of heroin, three grams of cocaine and two Endocet pills in the vehicle.
Officials say Detectives Stewart Owens and Jose Gonzalez were patrolling near Chase Court around 1 a.m. when they saw Kelley in the driver’s seat of a car. The detectives knew from previous investigations that Kelley does not have a driver’s license. So, they conducted a motor vehicle stop.
As the detectives approached the vehicle, officials say, Kelley shoved drugs into a brown paper bag and tossed it onto the passenger side floorboard.
Detectives then ordered him to show his hands, but Kelley placed the car in drive, sped off and almost hit Gonzalez, who jumped out of the way to avoid being struck.
That sparked a vehicle pursuit that ended on Rossell Avenue when Kelley jumped out of the moving car, which then crashed into a tree.
But the chase wasn’t over.
Police say Kelley started running, and during the foot chase, he lost his flip flops and suffered injuries on the bottom of his feet that later needed medical treatment. Kelley was eventually apprehended near the intersection of Rossell Avenue and New Willow Street.
When police searched the vehicle, they found heroin, cocaine and prescription pills in the bag Kelley tossed onto the floorboard. Police also seized $265 from Kelley as suspected proceeds from drug sales.
The vehicle was towed to police headquarters pending forfeiture proceedings.
Kelley is charged with aggravated assault on law enforcement, several drug possession and distribution offenses, resisting arrest by flight and numerous motor vehicle violations.