Wyomingite Charged in Cheyenne-Area Chase Involving Stolen Pickup

A 39-year-old Gillette, Wyoming woman is facing charges after reportedly leading a Cheyenne-area trooper on a high-speed chase in a stolen pickup.

According to a booking sheet, it all started around 3:00 Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 26, when a trooper traveling north on Interstate 25 clocked a southbound Ford F-150 traveling 94 mph in a posted 80 mph zone near mile marker 20.

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The trooper made a U-turn and caught up to the pickup near mile marker 13, which by that time was traveling 90 mph in a 75 mph zone.

When the trooper attempted to stop the pickup, the driver, later identified as Samantha Jo Longwell, continued driving south, failing to use her turn signal when changing lanes and failing to maintain a single lane of travel.

The trooper says he saw Longwell look in her rearview mirror while his emergency lights were on.

The trooper turned his lights off at mile marker 10 due to construction but reactivated them as well as his siren at mile marker 8 and positioned his patrol car to the left of Longwell, who had her window rolled down.

Longwell then reportedly sped up to 100 mph in a 65 mph zone and the trooper remained behind her with his lights and siren on.

At mile marker 3, Longwell drove over spike strips and her tires began to deflate. Two tires on the trooper's patrol car also deflated and he stopped near mile marker 2.

Longwell finally came to a stop near the Wyoming/Colorado state line and assisting troopers took her into custody without incident.

The owner of the pickup, James L. Bell, was contacted and stated his pickup had been stolen north of Wright and he didn't know Longwell.

Longwell was subsequently charged with felony theft, speeding, eluding, and failure to maintain a lane.

She made her initial appearance in Laramie County Circuit Court Thursday afternoon, during which her bond was set at $3,000 cash and her preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 5 at 1:30 p.m.