What began as a traffic stop and arrest of a driver at about 5 p.m. near Bethany Home Road and 15th Avenue, quickly became more than that when Sergeant Lundberg leaned into the vehicle to determine who the woman passenger was in the front seat. He asked the woman to get out of the car and as he reached to open the door, the woman suddenly rolled the power window up, trapping Lundberg’s arm. She quickly moved over to the driver’s seat, hit the gas, and drove off at a high rate of speed. Lundberg had no choice but to try to run along side the speeding vehicle.
“In seconds, I was up in the air like Superman!” exclaimed Lundberg. “Everything in my mind was going in slow motion; at one point I saw my shoe flying through the air and I thought my foot was in it—it hurt so bad.” He continued, “At 15th Avenue and Denton Lane she didn’t stop and headed into traffic, but she slowed down and I thought it was my only chance to break loose.” As Lundberg screamed at the woman to roll the window down, she finally relented. “I pushed off the vehicle, tucked my head into my chest and rolled at least 20 yards on the asphalt.” Lundberg had endured and survived being dragged at high speeds nearly a half-mile.
As the suspect, Elizabeth Rich, sped off, two marked patrol units pulled up near Lundberg who motioned them to pursue Rich. Near 12th Avenue and Camelback Road, Rich crashed the vehicle and tried to escape on foot. Police captured her and she was arrested and booked into jail.
Lundberg, whose injuries required hospitalization and many weeks of recovery, somberly related, “I thought I was dead that day; I said my goodbyes to my wife and kids, but I got lucky.” He has returned to full duty at the department; while on November 2, 2009, Elizabeth Rich was sentenced 15 years in prison.
"Suspect, Elizabeth Rich, sped off, two marked patrol units pulled up near Lundberg who motioned them to pursue Rich."