CLAYTON, Mo. — A St. Louis County man charged under new the Valentine’s Law after a high-speed chase. Andrew Laramie, 28, of Florissant, Missouri, faces charges of aggravated fleeing a stop and leaving scene of accident following a high-speed chase. This marks the first application of the recently enacted “Valentine’s Law” in a St. Louis County Police Department case.
According to the probable cause statement, an officer saw Laramie’s red Dodge pickup truck speeding through a parking lot used as an illegal shortcut on Tuesday. When the officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Laramie allegedly accelerated to over 100 mph in a 35 mph zone.
The suspect reportedly swerved into oncoming traffic to evade the stop, forcing other drivers to take evasive action. After briefly losing sight of the vehicle, the officer discovered an accident scene on Old Halls Ferry Road, where a victim’s car was seriously damaged. Laramie was arrested after a chase when his truck was found in a nearby ditch.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has set Laramie’s bond at $50,000 cash only, with no 10% option. He is currently being held in a St. Louis County jail.
Valentine’s Law, named after the late St. Louis County Police Detective Antonio Valentine, took effect on August 28, 2024. The new law creates a crime for fleeing from police in a vehicle. It applies when someone speeds away from a police stop.
