An 18-year-old St. Paul man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he fled a Minnesota State Patrol trooper on a motorcycle following a high-speed run that reached 141 mph. The pursuit ended near a St. Kate’s dorm, where investigators say campus security helped locate him.
The Pursuit Started At 141 MPH
According to charges filed in Ramsey County Court and detailed by FOX 9, a trooper spotted two motorcycles traveling at 141 mph in a 60 mph zone around 10:37 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. The motorcycles were heading north on Interstate 35E from Interstate 494 when troopers coordinated an attempt to stop them.
One trooper positioned himself near a ramp from Highway 13 to northbound I-35E and saw one motorcycle accelerate away. After emergency lights and sirens were activated, the rider allegedly continued into St. Paul, lane-splitting and reaching roughly 100 mph.
Minnesota’s Fleeing Charge Is A Felony
Minnesota law defines fleeing to include increasing speed or refusing to stop after a peace officer signals a driver to pull over. Under the state’s fleeing statute, vehicle fleeing is a felony punishable by up to three years and one day in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.
The law also calls for a driver’s license revocation upon conviction. No injury-related enhancement was reported in the charge described in this case.
Campus Security Helped Locate The Rider
The trooper lost sight of the motorcycle near Grand Avenue and ended the chase because continuing had become too risky, according to the complaint. As reported by FOX 9, dispatch later reported that the motorcycle exited onto Grand Avenue, while a Ramsey County sheriff’s community service officer followed it toward a dorm near St. Kate’s.
Campus safety staff showed troopers video of the motorcycle arriving at the dorm about a minute after leaving Grand Avenue. Investigators say a woman let the rider into the building, and officers identified him as Sawyer Brooks Beinner Moudry before taking him into custody.
The complaint says Moudry admitted driving fast and recklessly on I-35E but denied seeing police behind him. The woman told investigators she had known him for about three months and knew he liked to ride fast; she said he called her at 10:44 p.m. and arrived shortly after the pursuit ended.
Moudry is being held on $10,000 bail, and his next court appearance is scheduled for September 14. The charge is an allegation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
