(Jamaica, Iowa) – The first day of December, Wednesday, included some excitement in Guthrie County. The Sheriff’s Office reports Deputy Kent Gries was on patrol on Highway 141 south of Jamaica, at around 3-p.m., when he saw a 1995 Kawasaki ZX750-L motorcycle traveling east on the highway at 70-mph in a 55-mph zone. When the Deputy turned his vehicle around and began to initiate a traffic stop, the motorcycle was already nearly out of sight, continuing to travel eastbound toward Dallas County.

With the Deputy in pursuit, lights and siren activated, the operator of the cycle refused to yield. The machine entered Dawson (In Dallas County) and proceeded eastbound on the Racoon River Bicycle Trail, at a high rate of speed. With the Deputy still in pursuit, the cycle continued traveling at a high rate of speed for about two-miles. It then turned south on F Avenue for about one-half mile, and then west onto Highway 141. The chase eventually re-entered Dawson and then northbound out of town on D Avenue, with speeds at times at 120-mph. The cycle crossed into Greene County on V Avenue. It finally stopped at V Avenue and 305th Street, southwest of Rippey.

Altogether, the chase went on for about 15-miles and around 10-minutes. The operator of the cycle, 43-year-old Curtis Alan Moorhead, of Jamaica, was taken into custody for Eluding. Authorities learned through a speedometer app on his phone, that the highest speed recorded was 147-mph. Moorhead admitted to traveling that fast.

In addition to the Eluding – speed 25 mph (or more) over the limit, Moorhead had three licenses suspensions in effect, plus a suspension for non-payment of child support. He had his initial appearance with the Magistrate this (Thursday) morning, where his cash or surety bond was set at $2,000.