A man from St. Louis County has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, following a police chase that resulted in a serious car accident.
Juan Goodrich, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Tuesday. According to court documents, the incident occurred on April 2, 2024, when an officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department observed Goodrich running a red light at North Kingshighway Boulevard and Natural Bridge Avenue. The officer attempted to stop Goodrich after discovering his license plate was invalid.
Goodrich refused to pull over and sped away, running additional red lights and a stop sign while reaching speeds over 80 miles per hour. Due to safety concerns, the officer deactivated his lights and siren, but Goodrich continued driving recklessly until his vehicle collided head-on with another car—a 2009 Nissan Maxima—leaving its 52-year-old driver trapped with major injuries.
After the crash, Goodrich exited his vehicle carrying a loaded AR-15-style rifle before fleeing on foot. He dropped the weapon while running but was soon apprehended by police. Goodrich admitted he was a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.
"This sentence reflects the seriousness of fleeing from law enforcement while armed," said prosecutors.
