KINGWOOD — A Harrison County man faces felony charges after allegedly fleeing from police through three counties at speeds over 100 mph last weekend.
Caleb Michael Heberlig, 27, of Gypsy, was being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail Tuesday without bond.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Preston County Magistrate Court, State Police Cpl. K.H. Totten III was running radar about 9:55 a.m. Saturday at the 140 mile marker of Interstate 79 in Marion County, when a yellow motorcycle went by at 98 mph.
The motorcycle was later identified as a 2008 Kawasaki with improper registration and no insurance, according to the complaint.
Cpl. Totten activated his lights and siren and pursued the cycle, which he said increased speed, cut off vehicles, and passed several vehicles on the shoulders of the road and the center line.
Speeds reached up to 125 mph, the complaint says, before the motorcycle exited I-79 at the Goshen Road Exit (Exit 146) in Monongalia County, then went back onto the interstate. The driver cut off several vehicles, swerved across both northbound lanes and passed cars on the shoulder, speeding up to 120 mph as he made his way onto I-68 eastbound.
The motorcycle “faked” taking Exit 1 but continued into Preston County at 100 mph, the trooper said. It took Exit 15 at Cooper’s Rock, narrowly missing a white SUV and nearly causing the trooper to crash.
Going back onto I-68 eastbound, additional police joined the pursuit, and the motorcycle stopped about mile marker 26.5.
The driver was identified as Heberlig. He was charged with fleeing with reckless indifference. He has a license suspended May 24 for failure to pay a citation and no motorcycle endorsement on the license, according to police.
