A 56 year old Madison man who tried to outrun an officer of the Tennessee Highway Patrol from Smithville to Sparta last week remains in the DeKalb County Jail.
Roger Lee Artz of Forest Park Road, Madison is charged with reckless endangerment of a motor vehicle and evading arrest. His bond totals $35,000 and he will be in court on the charges December 11th.
Trooper Dewayne Jennings of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, reports that ” On Wednesday, November 19th, while on patrol, I attempted to stop a vehicle on U.S. 70 in front of Smithville Builders Supply. The vehicle was traveling 79 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone. The driver refused to pull his vehicle over and continued east on U.S. 70 at a high rate of speed. The vehicle left DeKalb County and entered White County. Just before we entered the Sparta city limits, the vehicle ran over a set of spike strips which was deployed by the White County Sheriff’s Department. The vehicle continued east until it was on it’s rims. The vehicle then pulled to the shoulder.”
The arrest warrant alleges that “Artz committed the offense of reckless endangerment by fleeing law enforcement in a motor vehicle. Artz did flee at a high rate of speed, passing other vehicles on double yellow lines, and not maintaining his lane of travel. Artz also passed vehicles on hills and curves and met other vehicles head-on forcing them off the road way.”
Sheriff Patrick Ray and a detective of the Sheriff’s Department, while not directly involved in the pursuit, got enroute to backup Trooper Jennings.
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