Charges Filed Against Motorist Involved in Rochester Area Chase

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Conditional bail was set at $10,000 today for a Twin Cities man accused of leading State Troopers and Rochester Police high-speed chase last weekend.

28-year-old Nathan Jones of Oakdale faces a felony count of fleeing police along with a gross misdemeanor charge of damage to property, and misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, fleeing police, and driving without a valid license. He was formally arraigned on the charges in Olmsted County Court this morning and is due back in court for a hearing next month.

The criminal complaint says a State Trooper was traveling north on Highway 52 near Zumbrota Sunday night around 10 PM when he spotted a southbound vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. The trooper turned around and clocked the vehicle at 92 mph in the 65-mile-per-hour speed limit zone when he activated his emergency lights and siren to attempt a traffic stop.

According to the court document, the driver responded by "heavily" accelerating and turning off the vehicle's headlights and taillights. At that point, the trooper broke off his pursuit and clocked the other vehicle going 123 mph.

Just north the Rochester at 85th Street, State Troopers deployed stop sticks on Highway 52 in an unsuccessful effort to stop the speeding motorist, who then allegedly sideswiped a squad car when troopers attempted to box in the vehicle. Eventually, the driver pulled off onto 41st Street Northwest and attempted to flee on foot after stopping along the shoulder. The criminal complaint says Jones was quickly apprehended at the scene.