Travis Armand James, 41, of Crystal City allegedly led the Missouri State Highway Patrol on a high-speed chase through Jefferson County on I-55. He was arrested on March 26, according to court and jail records.
James has been charged with felony aggravated fleeing a stop or detention and five misdemeanor traffic violations. As of March 29, he was being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, court and jail documents show.
According to the case’s probable-cause statement, the Highway Patrol was notified on Feb. 2 that James was driving a Chevrolet Malibu north on I-55. James was wanted on warrants for a parole violation and failing to appear in court.
At about 1:50 p.m. that day, a trooper saw James drive on the shoulder of the interstate to pass traffic, and James also drove between two lanes on I-55 through a construction zone south of Hwy. Z in Pevely, the report said.
James momentarily exited the interstate at McNutt Street in Herculaneum, going through a red light before returning to I-55. He then used the shoulder to pass traffic on the interstate near Imperial Main Street and again drove between lanes to avoid being stopped, according to the report.
James allegedly hit a box truck and nearly struck an Arnold Police officer’s vehicle on I-55 near Richardson Road. The trooper wrote that James was driving at speeds of more than 100 mph throughout the pursuit, and the trooper noted that he reached 135 mph while chasing James, the report said.
The Highway Patrol report said the pursuit was terminated when James drove into Illinois, but the report does not say what road James took to leave Missouri.
James is considered a persistent offender because he has been found guilty of at least two prior felony charges in Jefferson County. In January and June 2013, he was found guilty of two separate distribution of controlled substance charges, court records said.