Ruthven, IA — A high-speed pursuit through Clay County led to a felony charge for a Graettinger man early Thursday morning.
According to a statement from the City of Spencer, the Clay County Communications Center received a report of reckless driving at approximately 12:45 a.m. Thursday, July 16. The caller reported seeing a motorcycle traveling westbound on Highway 18 through Ruthven at speeds estimated at more than 100 mph.
Deputies with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Spencer Police later located the motorcyclist near 250th Avenue and Highway 18. Authorities say a Spencer police officer attempted a traffic stop in the 1200 block of 11th Street Southeast, but the driver accelerated and attempted to flee.
Both departments pursued the motorcycle as it traveled north on South Grand Avenue to 18th Street. During the pursuit, the driver allegedly reached speeds of 95 mph in a 20 mph zone while continuing to evade law enforcement.
The pursuit came to an end when the motorcycle ran out of fuel near the intersection of East Seventh Street and 10th Avenue East. The driver was then taken into custody without further incident.
Twenty-eight-year-old Troy Petersen of Graettinger was booked into the Clay County Jail. He was charged with eluding, a Class C felony, along with driving under suspension, fraudulent use of registration, no insurance, two counts of speeding, and two counts of failure to obey a stop sign.
As of Thursday, Petersen was being held on a $10,000 bond.
