A Chicago man is accused of fleeing and eluding deputies for several miles and flipped them off during the pursuit.
Nolan Gurdak, 33, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office on Friday with attempting to flee or elude an officer, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana. If convicted of all charges, Gurdak faces up to four years one month in prison and/or fines up to $11,500.
According to the criminal complaint, deputies with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday were traveling southbound on I-94 at STH 11 when they saw a white Mercedes Benz approaching their squad. Gurdak, who was driving, changed lanes quickly without signaling. Nearly crashing into a semi-truck, Gurdak changed lanes again without using the turn signal.
The deputies initiated a traffic stop. But Gurdak drove at speeds over 100 mph. He then stuck his hand out the wind and flipped off the deputies. He also stuck his phone as if to start recording the event. Three miles later, Gurdak stopped the van just north of State Highway E in Kenosha County.
Deputies removed Gurdak from his van and used a K-9 to perform an open-air sniff around the vehicle. The K-9 alerted the deputies that a controlled substance was inside the van. Searching the van, they found a yellow pill that turned out to be alprazolam, a drug used to treat people with anxiety. They also found 14.5 grams of marijuana.
Gurdak told the police that he did not ingest the controlled substance and does not have a prescription for alprazolam.
He also said that he was filming himself at the time of the stop and didn’t realize that they were following him. When the deputies viewed the video, it showed Gurdak driving the van with the marked squads following him
“Gurdak stated he turned on his hazards and pulled over when he saw the deputies behind him,” the complaint reads.
Released on $213 bail, Gurdak is expected to have an initial appearance at 2 p.m. March 26 in front of Judge Timothy Boyle at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Avenue.