By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

PIERCE TOWNSHIP - Juanita F. Maddux's neighbors and colleagues were stunned Tuesday after police accused her of dragging a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy more than 50 feet while fleeing a bank in a pickup and, much later, leading officers on a high-speed chase.

Maddux, 43, was arrested in Evendale late Monday following that chase up Interstate 75.

"We were quite shocked," said Jennifer Sheeler, finance manager at Prolawn Proscape, a lawn management and landscaping company in Blue Ash where Maddux has worked for several years.

Maddux ultimately was charged with two counts of felonious assault, fleeing and eluding and felony counts of failure to comply with a police officer. She also was charged with receiving stolen property because of a stolen license plate on the truck used in the chase.

She has lived alone on a large farm on Hopper Hill Road in Clermont County for several years. Neighbors and friends said she is a nice woman, and the allegations are out of character.

Maddux is now on unpaid suspension from Prolawn Proscape, Sheeler said.

Police say Maddux became agitated during a lunchtime argument Monday with a teller at the PNC Bank branch at 7392 Beechmont Ave. She was driving away when two deputies - responding to calls about the disturbance at the bank - tried to stop her.

One of the deputies, Greg McDonald, was dragged by the fleeing 2002 Ford F-150 truck and suffered a foot injury. A second deputy also was struck. Both deputies were back at work on Tuesday, sheriff's officials said.

A bank employee said Tuesday that workers could not comment on the incident.

Maddux was arrested about 11:50 p.m. Monday after leading officers on a high-speed chase up I-75 from Cincinnati to Evendale. She lost control of her pickup - a different one than was used in the bank incident - and struck a concrete barrier. Speeds during the chase reached 110 mph, police said.

After being taken into custody by Evendale officers, she was treated at University Hospital for injuries sustained in the crash and later taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center.

E-mail daveck@fuse.net