Paul Tripp Takes Police on High Speed Chase after Recent Prison Release, Crashes in Hazelwood

Pine Lawn Police said Tripp, a man convicted of dumping Valerie Butler's dead body, drove up to 130 mph trying to escape the police.

A Florissant man who was just released from jail in September is accused of leading police on a drunken high-speed chase Thursday morning that ended in Hazelwood.  Authorities say Paul Alan Tripp, 28, sped away from them during a traffic stop around 3:00 a.m. Pine Lawn Police chased Tripp on Interstate 70 to I-270 and then to Highway 370 before he crashed in the City of Hazelwood at Aubuchon and Missouri Bottom Roads. Pine Lawn Police Officer John Bernsen said Tripp drove at speeds near 130 mph before he crashed into farmland and was then taken into custody. He was charged with Felony DWI, resisting arrest and Careless and Imprudent Driving charges. Bail was set at $40,000. This is reportedly his fourth DWI. Authorities say they plan to …

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Police Blotter

Drunks Drivers Arrested at DWI Checkpoint

BAT Van used to during Dec. 10 checkpoint enables officers to check more people.

The Hazelwood Police Department stopped two drunk drivers during a sobriety checkpoint on Dec. 10. Sgt. Timothy Burger, of the Special Operations Group and Traffic Management Team for the Hazelwood Police Department, said 292 vehicles were stopped. "Of the 292 vehicles that went through we made 2 arrests of drunk drivers bother who were nearly double the legal alcohol limit," he said. Burger said there were 23 traffic citations handed out to drivers including three  to drivers who either had revoked or suspended licenses. The checkpoint occurred at the 4600 block of Aubuchon Road within Hazelwood's city limits around 10p.m. and ended at 2:30a.m. "We look at how many accidents and citations we have on a road," he said of selecting the …

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