GRANITE CITY – Two Granite City men who were charged on the same day with attempting to flee from police across state lines are now in custody.
Louis P. Campbell, 48, of Granite City, was charged on March 23, 2026 with one count each of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer (a Class 4 felony) and driving while license is suspended (a Class A misdemeanor).
On March 22, 2026, Campbell allegedly knowingly attempted to elude a Madison County Sheriff’s deputy after being given a visual or audible signal to stop the Ford F-150 he was driving on Route 3 in Granite City. His attempted flight from the officer reportedly exceeded 21 miles per hour over the legal speed limit, and his driver’s license was suspended at the time of the offense.
A petition to deny Campbell’s pretrial release from custody was filed by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. During the police pursuit, the petition states Campbell began fleeing on foot before jumping into the Missouri River.
“Defendant was identified as the driver who fled a traffic stop, accelerating at 100 mph in a 65 mph zone, then fleeing into Missouri, where the pursuit continued until defendant’s vehicle experienced mechanical failure,” the petition states. “Defendant then fled on foot, jumping into the Missouri River to elude police. He eventually returned to shore and was detained.”
The state’s petition was granted, with a Detention Order filed in this case adding Campbell has a “history of flight” from police. The Detention Order further notes Campbell “exited his vehicle while it was still moving, allowing a driverless motor vehicle to exist as a danger to responding officers and the public,” and that his flight into the Missouri River put “rescuers at risk of serious injury or death.”
Another Granite City man was charged with similar offenses in a separate case filed on the same day.
34-year-old Martin Padilla was charged with two Class 4 felony counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and a Class A misdemeanor count of driving while license is suspended on March 23, 2026.
Padilla is accused of knowingly attempting to flee from a Madison County Sheriff’s deputy who had signaled for Padilla to stop the GMC Envoy he was driving on Route 3 in Granite City. His attempted flight from police reportedly involved the disobedience of two or more traffic control signals at over 21 miles per hour above the legal speed limit.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office also filed a petition to keep Padilla detained pending trial. The petition states Padilla “fled a traffic stop at high speeds, ignoring multiple traffic control devices as he fled into Missouri.” The St. Louis City Police Department then deployed spike strips to stop the vehicle and Padilla was taken into custody.
The state’s petition to keep Padilla detained was also granted, with a Detention Order filed in this case adding his flight from police exceeded 100 mph, “risking the lives of other drivers and multiple communities between the two states.”
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office presented both cases against Campbell and Padilla, and both currently remain in custody at the Madison County Jail.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
