A 21-year-old Jacksonville man is facing a felony charge after state troopers say he hit speeds of up to 140 mph on his motorcycle while fleeing a traffic stop on U.S. 17, then blew through a red light on Western Boulevard before he was caught. Caleb Matthew Hubbard was arrested on August 31 in Onslow County, according to court documents.
The pursuit began when a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop Hubbard on U.S. 17, as reported by WCTI. Investigators say Hubbard continued driving despite the trooper's lights and siren. Warrants indicate he was first clocked at 95 mph in a 55 mph zone on U.S. 17, then later at 104 mph in the same 55 mph zone, before reaching speeds up to 140 mph, according to court documents.
Red Light, Fictitious Plate Among the Charges
Court documents state Hubbard failed to stop for a steady red light while traveling on Western Boulevard during the chase. He now faces charges of felony fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle while recklessly driving a motorcycle, along with reckless driving, failure to heed a light or siren, displaying a fictitious registration plate, no motorcycle endorsement, and no liability insurance. Court documents also note a motorcycle headlamp violation.
Under North Carolina General Statute § 20-141.5, fleeing to elude arrest is elevated from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class H felony when two or more aggravating factors are present, such as driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit combined with reckless driving, according to Coolidge Law Firm. Felony flee-to-elude convictions in the state can carry active prison terms ranging from 4 to 25 months depending on a defendant's prior record, per that same source. Separately, driving more than 15 mph over a posted 55 mph limit, or exceeding 80 mph outright, constitutes a Class 3 misdemeanor reckless driving offense under N.C.G.S. § 20-141(j1), according to Chesnutt & Clemmons — a threshold the alleged 140 mph top speed would exceed by 85 mph.
License Revocation and Possible Forfeiture on the Table
A conviction on the felony charge would trigger an automatic driver's license revocation by the NCDMV for a minimum of two years once two aggravating factors are proven, according to Matheson Law Office, which notes that such suspensions are mandatory and separate from any court-imposed sentence. Beyond that, North Carolina's so-called “Run and You're Done” statute, N.C.G.S. § 20-141.5(h), authorizes law enforcement agencies to impound and pursue civil forfeiture of vehicles used in felony flee-to-elude offenses, according to the Stowe Law Firm, which notes the state enacted that seizure framework in 2011 specifically to deter high-speed pursuits. It remains unclear whether authorities intend to move against Hubbard's motorcycle under that statute.
A Dangerous Corridor With a History of Crashes
The chase unfolded along U.S. 17 and Western Boulevard, arterials that carry heavy commercial and commuter traffic tied to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, according to David and Associates Injury Attorneys. A corridor study by the Jacksonville Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization recorded 1,864 total traffic crashes along Western Boulevard over a five-year span, averaging more than one collision per day, underscoring how congested the route already is without a high-speed chase added to the mix.
The case also lands amid a broader statewide climb in dangerous pursuits. Highway Patrol pursuit tracking data analyzed in 2023 showed that police chases in North Carolina more than doubled between 2019 and 2022, a surge that coincided with 24 pursuit-related deaths in 2022, according to WRAL TV, which reported that roughly half of those statewide fatalities were uninvolved bystanders. Onslow County has seen its own close call with motorcycle flight before: a 2025 pursuit that began at a checkpoint and stretched across county lines reached 120 mph before ending in a crash that required the rider to be airlifted to a regional trauma center, as reported by WCTI News 12.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol, established in 1929, fields roughly 1,870 sworn troopers responsible for traffic enforcement across the state's 53,800 square miles, per Wikipedia, and holds primary jurisdiction over non-military public roads statewide. Hubbard's auxiliary citations for operating without a motorcycle endorsement or liability insurance carry their own consequences: North Carolina's driver's license point system and mandatory liability requirements mean such violations can trigger additional administrative suspensions, according to Mulligan Attorneys. Bond conditions and Hubbard's next court date in Onslow County have not been publicly detailed.
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