Ranger Bruce Gagnon saw a motorcycle speeding down the parkway in the Laurel Springs area on the afternoon of September 9th and attempted to stop it. The operator, James Peebles, 36, declined to comply and sped away. Gagnon lost visual contact and reduced his speed, but again came upon the bike several miles down the road, at which point Peebles reversed direction. The pursuit continued to the Highway 21 junction, where Peebles attempted to exit the parkway but instead ran over a traffic island and stopped on the road shoulder. Gagnon pulled ahead of the motorcycle and a state trooper pulled in behind the bike. Gagnon then ordered Peebles to get off his bike, but Peebles again attempted to flee. Gagnon used his taser, hitting Peebles’ right shoulder and halting his escape. He was taken to a medical facility, where the darts were removed, then charged with speeding and fleeing to elude, with other charges pending. The pursuit covered about 25 miles, during which the motorcycle’s speed was estimated at over 100 mph for short stretches. Peebles also passed about 20 vehicles over double yellow lines, sometimes on blind corners. It appears that he may have been carrying drugs, but was able to dispose of them during his maneuvers.
