Andrew Lee Bates, 32, of St. Louis allegedly sped away from a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper who was trying to stop him on I-55 in Imperial. Bates was allegedly speeding while riding a motorcycle that did not have a license plate, court records show.
Bates has been charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention, a class D felony; exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 26 mph and operating a motor vehicle in a careless or imprudent manner, both class B misdemeanors; operating a vehicle without insurance, operating a motorcycle without a validated license and driving with a revoked license, all class D misdemeanors; and failing to display license plates, a traffic infraction, according to court documents.
He was arrested on Sept. 22, and as of Sept. 23, he was being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, court records said.
Bates was riding a 2011 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R at about 10:20 a.m. June 24 north on I-55 near the Imperial Main Street. In the case’s probable-cause statement, a trooper wrote Bates was going at least 85 mph in a 70-mph zone and the motorcycle did not have license plates.
The trooper turned on his vehicle’s emergency lights and sirens to stop Bates. However, Bates allegedly fled, reaching speeds of at least 120 mph at points while cutting off other vehicles and weaving between lanes, the report said.
A trooper pursued Bates on the interstate, and Bates stopped fleeing at about 10:45 a.m. and was arrested, according to the report.
The trooper discovered Bates was riding the motorcycle with a revoked license and did not have the necessary endorsement to ride a motorcycle. Bates also allegedly told the trooper he did not have insurance, the report said.
A class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison. Class B misdemeanors carry penalties of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, and Class D misdemeanors are punishable by fines of up to $500. The traffic infraction carries a penalty of a fine between $5 and $500.