A LaPorte woman who was pulled over for allegedly holding a cell phone while driving now faces criminal charges, after police say she tried to flee from officers not once but twice. An officer with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office reportedly pulled over a vehicle driven by 45-year-old Sheila S. Kinney on 1st Street near Fisher Street at about 9:30 Wednesday morning.
As he approached the vehicle and began talking to Kinney, police say she suddenly took off westbound on 1st Street. Officers say she stopped again near M Street but when the officer began speaking with her, she fled a second time. The chase continued down 1st Street, Central Avenue, and Weller Avenue, before Kinney reportedly stopped near Hawthorne Street. Police say she refused to follow deputies’ commands and continued to resist, even after she was removed from the vehicle.
She now faces two counts of resisting law enforcement and was also cited for allegedly operating with an expired driver’s license, disregarding a stop sign, discarding a lit cigarette from a motor vehicle, and distracted driving.
The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office reminds drivers that holding a cell phone while driving is now a traffic infraction, after Indiana’s hands-free driving law took effect July 1.
