A Clay County man is facing two felony charges after police say a traffic stop turned into a 100-mph sprint through a 40-mph zone, an oncoming-lane gamble and a foot chase across I-35. Ivan Sanders was taken into custody after officers used a grappler to stop a stolen Infiniti, according to allegations released after Tuesday's pursuit.
The chase began Tuesday when Gladstone police tried to stop a white 2017 Infiniti Q50 that had been reported stolen from North Kansas City, according to Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson, as reported by KCTV5. Sanders has been charged with aggravated fleeing and felony tampering in the first degree.
Police allege the Infiniti topped 100 miles per hour in an area posted for 40 mph and passed about 11 vehicles by driving into oncoming lanes. The vehicle also swerved between lanes near the I-35 underpass on NE Antioch Road, creating the kind of roadside chaos that can turn a traffic stop into a much larger emergency. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's 2024 Annual Report, troopers stopped 69,998 violators, made 1,265 DWI (Alcohol/Drug) arrests and issued 14,503 speeding citations in 2024, providing statewide traffic-enforcement context for high-speed incidents. According to the Missouri Attorney General's "Missouri Vehicle Stops 2024 Annual Report," the report "aggregates the traffic stops data from 495 law enforcement agencies across the state," which helps place local stops in a statewide context.
The pursuit ended when a detective used a grappler to immobilize the car, according to KCTV5's report. Sanders then allegedly ran across multiple lanes of I-35 before police found him hiding near a garage in Kansas City, and his bond was set at $100,000. The Department of Justice's guide "Vehicular Pursuits: A Guide for Law Enforcement Executives" discusses pursuit-intervention techniques (including PIT maneuvers) and evaluates their safety and effectiveness for law enforcement policy. An Office of Justice Programs report on "Technological Advances and Their Impacts on Police Vehicle ..." examines pursuit-intervention technologies and their implications for policy and officer/public safety.
What The Missouri Charges Mean
Missouri's aggravated-fleeing law applies when a driver knowingly flees a police stop at high speed or in a way that creates a substantial risk of serious injury or death. The Missouri Revisor of Statutes classifies that version of the offense as a class D felony.
The tampering charge is tied to the allegedly stolen vehicle. Under Missouri law, knowingly possessing or operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent is first-degree tampering, also a class D felony; the charges remain allegations, and Sanders is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
