Man arrested after high-speed chase

A Kasson man is in jail after authorities say he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through two counties while driving impaired.
Ryan Matthew Vangness, 38, is expected to make his initial appearance in Steele County District Court on Thursday. He faces one felony count each of DWI-operate motor vehicle under influence of controlled substance and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.
Vangness remains in custody in lieu of $40,000 conditional bond.
The incident began early on the morning of April 24, when an Owatonna Police officer spotted a van driving east on Mineral Springs Road Northeast. The officer recognized the vehicle and knew the man who usually drove the van had a canceled driver’s license.
When the officer confirmed the information, he attempted to stop the vehicle, which was now southbound on Pine Avenue. The driver did not stop, the criminal complaint says, but sped up and failed to stop at the controlled intersection of Pine Avenue and Rose Street.
The van then reportedly ran the stop sign at Broadway Street East before turning south onto Lincoln Avenue.
As it headed out of the city limits on Claremont Road, deputies in Dodge County were notified of the approaching pursuit, which reached speeds between 80 and 110 mph, court documents say.
The van turned north onto 84th Avenue, kicking up dust and forcing the officer to slow because of the limited visibility.
Dispatch learned the van was stopped north of Dodge Center. Deputies there searched Vangness and reported finding a partially loaded hypodermic needle, as well as a small container with residue.
Vangness was sweating, had watery, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech; he said he had last used methamphetamine “yesterday,” the complaint says.
Blood samples were taken at Allina Hospital in Owatonna after Vangness’s arrest.
A review of his criminal history reflects a conviction for first-degree DWI in 2019 in Mower County.