STEUBEN COUNTY, Ind. (WOWO) – A multistate police chase ended in two arrests Saturday.
Just before 6:00 pm on March 15, 2024, Steuben County Sheriff’s deputies were called to assist the Branch County Sheriff’s Office in a pursuit near the Indiana/Michigan state line. The incident began when Branch County deputies chased a fleeing vehicle, suspected to be occupied by two wanted individuals and a child, southbound on I-69 approaching Indiana.
Upon reaching Steuben County, stop sticks were strategically deployed by law enforcement to deescalate the situation and bring the pursuit to a safe conclusion. The fleeing brown Chevy Astro minivan hit the stop sticks with both passenger side tires causes the chase to go from nearly 100 mph to 40 mph as it entered Steuben County.
Despite the successful tire deflation, the suspects continued their flight southbound on I-69 on the remaining two tires. Several additional attempts to deploy stop sticks were made but proved unsuccessful in deflating the driver side tires.
During the chase, the driver attempted a U-turn in the median crossover near the 347-mile marker but lost control of the vehicle, ultimately coming to a stop in the median. Law enforcement officers, assisted by Angola Police and Indiana State Police, took both adult occupants into custody without further incident.
The driver, identified as 37-year-old Brienne Lee Bicknell of Quincy, MI, was found in possession of suspected drug-related items and was wanted out of Branch County, Michigan, for an alleged drug offense. The male passenger also had warrants out of Michigan, though they were non-extraditable from Indiana.
Fortunately, a female child belonging to Bicknell, found inside the vehicle, appeared unharmed. She was transported to Cameron Hospital by Steuben County EMS as a precaution and later placed in the care of the Indiana Department of Child Services.
Bicknell faces a slew of preliminary charges, including resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, neglect of a dependent, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless driving, and a fugitive warrant out of Michigan. She was booked into the Steuben County Jail by Angola Police.
