Rock Rapids, Iowa — A Brandon, South Dakota man is in custody in Rock Rapids after he allegedly led authorities on a high-speed chase through Lester, Rock Rapids, and rural Lyon County on Wednesday.
According to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, at about 9:00 that morning, deputies responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint near Highway 9 and Cleveland Avenue, about a mile west of the four-way stop, south of Larchwood.
When they got there and began the investigation, they say the vehicle, a 2007 Chevrolet Suburban, fled the scene and started a high-speed pursuit reaching speeds upwards of 117 mph. Deputies say that during the course of the pursuit, the driver created multiple driving hazards and made numerous traffic violations.
We are told the pursuit ended between Jackson and Jay Avenues along Highway 9, after traveling at a high rate of speed through Lester and Rock Rapids; a total distance of about 18 miles east of where it started.
The driver was then identified as 32-year-old Derek Wayne Vining of Brandon, SD.
Deputies tell us Vining was transported to the Lyon County Jail and booked into jail. He was charged with first degree theft, a class C Felony and Eluding, a class D Felony. If convicted of both felony charges, he could face up to 15 years in prison.
He also faces misdemeanor charges of operation without owner’s consent, speeding, failure to yield half of roadway, reckless driving, careless driving, unsafe passing, and unsafe stopping on highway. Vining also had an active warrant out of Lyon County for Probation Violation on a case in which he was convicted of stealing several items while at Grand Falls Casino near Larchwood in August of 2023.
Vining currently has a $18,000 bond, and at last report, remains in the Lyon County Jail in Rock Rapids.
Authorities say additional charges are pending further investigation.
