Iowa Man Prompts Police Car Chase Because it Was On His Bucket List

When people talk about their bucket list, it usually includes things like skydiving, visiting a certain part of the world, or maybe owning a special car they’ve always wanted. Well, 46-year-old Frederick Ray Jones of Des Moines, Iowa had an unconventional item on his bucket list that he has successfully achieved. He wanted to be chased by the police.

According to local news outlet KCCI, it all started early on Tuesday morning, eastbound on Interstate 80, when an officer tried to pull over Jones for a simple traffic violation. Jones refused to pull over and instead prompted a car chase involving multiple police cruisers heading into Des Moines. It ended with a PIT maneuver after which Jones was apprehended peacefully.

Upon being stopped by the police, Jones used a registration that wasn’t his revealing that the car was “borrowed” from a friend and also used a license that wasn’t his. That’s when he told officers that he wanted to be chased by police because it was on his bucket list. “In my 28 years, I’ve never heard that excuse,” Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Scott Bright told KCCI.

Jones’ escape vehicle of choice was a sixth-generation Chevrolet Malibu sedan from the mid-2000s. Not exactly a vehicle we normally associate with evading the police. It wasn’t even the high-performance, 240-horsepower SS variant.

Jones has been taken to Polk County Jail for processing and has been charged with a first-offense OWI, eluding, interference with official acts, operation without registration, unlawful use of a license, speeding, and a parole violation.