WARSAW — A Warsaw woman led police on a high speed chase that ended with her damaging a police car. After the suspect fled on foot, officers discovered methamphetamine inside the vehicle and on her person.

Rachel Blankenship

Rachel Nicole Blankenship, 19, 2441 West CR 250S, Warsaw, is being charged with resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; driving while suspended, a class A misdemeanor; possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor; failure to stop after causing damage to property/another vehicle, a class B misdemeanor; and criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor.

On Feb. 9, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department conducted a license plate registration check on a silver SUV. The officer discovered the vehicle was illegally registered and that the license plate light wasn’t working. At this point, the officer activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, the vehicle would not pull over and at points reached speeds of 100 mph. The vehicle ran off the roadway and struck a fence, causing damage of up to $1,000. This collision caused the vehicle to temporarily stall, but the driver was able to free the vehicle from the fence and fled the scene.

Officers then attempted to block the vehicle from fleeing further. The driver rammed her vehicle into the back of an officer’s patrol vehicle before coming to a complete stop. The impact caused $500 worth of damage to the patrol vehicle. The female driver then exited the car and fled on foot. Officers were able to restrain the female and identified her as Blankenship.

During a search of the vehicle and Blankenship, officers discovered a ceramic smoking device, a cut straw tube and a glass smoking pipe. All items tested positive for methamphetamine. Officers also discovered that Blankenship’s driver’s license was suspended prior.

Blankenship was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Feb. 10.