No one was hurt, and no cars were damaged or wrecked during the chase, police officials said.
The chase started near Coosa High School on Alabama Highway just before 11 a.m. Wednesday when Trooper First Class Doug Shamblin of the Georgia State Patrol spotted Latimer, 29, of Rome, doing 74 mph.
Latimer ran a red light, passed on the right and was “all over the place” as he sped down the road, doubling his speed to 147 mph on the Suzuki motorcycle.
Shamblin was able to keep Latimer in sight but was unable to catch up with him before he crossed over the state line into Alabama, where Alabama troopers and police continued to chase Latimer.
After going through Cherokee County, Ala., and passing through Little River Canyon, Fort Payne police picked up the pursuit.
Latimer was going between 120 and 140 miles an hour in the downtown area, passing three elementary schools and one high school, said Fort Payne Police Chief Randy Bynum.
“Luckily he didn’t know where he was, and we were determined to catch him,” Bynum said.
Fort Payne police cornered Latimer in a neighborhood. When they didn’t hear his motorcycle running anymore, they searched on foot and eventually found him behind an outbuilding, Bynum said.
Latimer did not tell police why he fled but tried to say he was not the one on the motorcycle, Bynum said.
In Fort Payne, Latimer will face at least 15 misdemeanor charges including reckless endangerment, running a stop sign and illegal passing.
Latimer will be charged with several traffic violations and felony fleeing to elude in Georgia, Shamblin said.
Cherokee County is also expected to have charges.
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