A Sioux City man has been sentenced to a decade in prison for a high‑speed chase and stolen‑vehicle incident that began near Marathon and ended with deputies in pursuit last summer.
Thirty‑year‑old Eric Morris was sentenced last week in Buena Vista County District Court to a term not to exceed 10 years for second-offense eluding, a class C felony. Judge Charles Borth handed down the sentence on March 9. Two additional driving‑related charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
The case began on July 25, 2025, when the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office was notified that a pickup belonging to a Cedar Falls construction crew had been stolen from a work site near Highway 10 and 180th Avenue outside Marathon. Deputies located the white 2015 Chevy Silverado a short time later traveling east on County Road C13.
According to court records, Morris was behind the wheel and immediately fled when a deputy attempted a traffic stop. Investigators say he drove around 85 miles per hour in a 55‑mile‑per‑hour zone, crossed into the oncoming lane as he approached a marked patrol vehicle, and continued speeding even after emergency lights and sirens were activated.
Deputies described Morris’s driving as “erratic,” noting he remained roughly 25 miles per hour over the limit throughout the pursuit before eventually stopping. He was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Buena Vista County Jail, where he was held on a $15,000 bond.
At the time of his arrest, Morris faced a long list of charges, including operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent, driving while barred, reckless driving, and multiple traffic violations. Records also show he had been convicted just two months earlier in Woodbury County for eluding at high speed.
Assistant County Attorney Ashley Herrig prosecuted the Buena Vista County case.
Morris has been transferred to the custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections.
