Teen convicted in high-speed chase but avoids jail time

CHIPPEWA FALLS — An Altoona teen won’t face jail time after leading police on a high-speed chase in February.

Evan E. Harper, 19, 2219 Hillside Road, hit speeds of 106 mph during the chase, which began when he fled an underage party. As part of a deferred prosecution plea agreement, he will avoid any jail time.

Harper pleaded no contest this week in Chippewa County Court to a felony-level charge of fleeing or eluding an officer and a misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing an officer. The more serious charge of second-degree recklessly endangering safety was read-in and dismissed.

However, Judge James Isaacson has withheld sentence on the felony charge. Isaacson placed Harper on probation for one year on the misdemeanor, ordered him to pay a $463 fine, and he must submit a DNA sample. Harper also must pay $905 after being convicted of two citations. He cannot consume alcohol.

According to the criminal complaint, officers were called to a home in the town of Holcombe on Feb. 10 on a report of an underage party. A deputy saw three vehicles in front of the home leave the residence, and he began to follow one that he suspected was under the influence of alcohol. The vehicle “was still traveling at average speed then all of a sudden (the deputy) observed it speed up and pass the vehicle it was following in an attempt to evade me,” the criminal complaint reads.

The officer continued to follow the car and observed it travel through a stop sign without stopping.

“While traveling southbound, (the deputy) observed the vehicle to be traveling in excess of 90 mph based upon (the deputy’s) vehicle speed,” the criminal complaint reads. “The vehicle varied speeds from approximately 90-106 mph.”

The vehicle also crossed the center line into the northbound lanes as it headed southbound on Highway 27.

Harper attempted to turn northbound onto Highway 27, took a turn too wide, and entered the west ditch, and struck a small tree before overturning once onto the car’s roof, with the passenger side facing the roadway.

An officer observed Harper and a passenger crawl out of the overturned vehicle and run into the woods. More officers arrived and were able to locate Harper and arrest him. He admitted to being the driver of the vehicle, but he refused to identify his passenger. He also admitted he had been consuming alcohol.

Officers later located the passenger, who is not named in the report. The passenger told police that he had told Harper he needed to slow down multiple times. The passenger said he was nervous because he did not have control of the vehicle.

Court records show Harper was cited in Eau Claire County Court in November for failure to stop at a stop sign and speeding; he will return to court on May 15 on that violation. He also was cited for speeding in July 2021 in Dunn County Court.