AUSTIN, Minn. – A Mower County man arrested following a police chase that resulted in a fiery crash last year has been sentenced. Melchor Barnabas, of Austin, pleaded guilty to fleeing a peace officer and DWI, stemming from the May 2022 incident, in which Austin police say the 24 year old sped away from a traffic stop, leading deputies on a high speed chase that ended when he crashed on West Oakland Avenue near Banfield Elementary, splitting the truck in two as it burst into flames. On Friday a judge ordered Barnabas to serve a year in prison.
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