A routine traffic stop in Des Moines escalated into a deadly police chase late Wednesday night, leaving two people dead and raising questions about what led a driver to flee at dangerous speeds. The incident unfolded over the course of just a few hours, ending in a crash that claimed two lives.
Des Moines police officers initiated a stop near the intersection of Stanton Avenue and McKinley Avenue at approximately 10:30 p.m. Wednesday after observing a lighting equipment violation on the vehicle. According to reporting from KCCI, the driver gave officers a false name during the stop.
That driver — later identified as 38-year-old Dustin Alan Long — then fled on foot. Police say he
“violently resisted the officers’ efforts to take him into custody”
before returning to the vehicle and driving away, triggering a police pursuit.
The chase took a dangerous turn when Long drove the wrong way on Fleur Drive at high speed. Officers deployed a PIT maneuver — a controlled technique used to end vehicle pursuits — which caused the vehicle to crash in the 2500 block of Bell Avenue.
Two Dead, One Officer Injured
The crash ejected both occupants of the vehicle. Long was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, 31-year-old April Doggett of Jefferson, was transported to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
One officer sustained minor injuries during the earlier struggle to take Long into custody. No other injuries were reported.
KCCI continues to follow this developing story. Updates are available through the station’s YouTube channel and its mobile app, available for Apple and Google Play devices.