A college student who sped away from a traffic stop and led police on a downtown chase because she wanted someone to talk to made her initial appearance in Douglas County Court this week.
Anne Christine Lapka, 20, a University of Wisconsin-Superior student from Chanhassen, Minn., faces one felony charge of attempting to flee or elude a traffic officer.
According to the criminal complaint, Superior police Officer Tim Monte pulled Lapka over on the 3200 block of Tower Avenue on Sunday evening for speeding. While Monte was checking her driving status in his squad car, Lapka sped off. With officers in pursuit, Lapka sped down North 31st Street, Hammond Avenue, North 28th Street, Belknap Street and Catlin Avenue. Along the way, she ran the stop sign at North 31st Street and Hammond Avenue and the red lights at North 28th Street and Hammond Avenue, according to the complaint.
Officers broke off pursuit to prevent an accident. A short time later, the vehicle Lapka had been driving pulled into the Hawkes Hall parking lot at UWS. Officers arrested her there.
Lapka told Monte she was having a bad day and was lonely at college over the long holiday weekend, the complaint stated. She told Monte that she was speeding to get noticed by police because she wanted to talk to someone.
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According to the complaint, Lapka is on probation in Anoka County, Minn., for fleeing an officer.
Lapka was released on $750 cash bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.
