Duluth man charged after 113 mph police chase in Canosia Township

A 19-year-old Duluth man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after a St. Louis County deputy clocked a truck at 113 mph in a 55 mph zone on Martin Road in Canosia Township, a stretch where the alleged flight put anyone on the road, and anyone entering or leaving nearby property, at risk. Bradford Jay Skytta was charged after the encounter on Wednesday, May 6, following what court documents described as a patrol stop that turned into a dangerous chase.

After the deputy tried to stop the truck, Skytta allegedly fled into the woods, prompting a search that included a K9 unit. Deputies later found him at his home the next day. He now faces felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, fleeing an officer by means other than a vehicle, and reckless driving. Bail was set at $500, and a hearing is scheduled for the morning of June 2. The case will move through St. Louis County District Court, which has chambered judges and full-service offices in Duluth, Hibbing and Virginia.

Minnesota law makes fleeing a peace officer by motor vehicle a felony punishable by up to three years and one day in prison, a fine of up to $5,000 or both. State law also requires revocation of the driver’s license after a conviction for that offense. The separate reckless-driving statute covers driving while aware of and consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm to people or property. Those rules explain why a chase that begins with speed can quickly become a felony case with long-term consequences beyond the traffic stop itself.

The Skytta case also fits a broader public-safety pattern in St. Louis County. County sheriff records have posted other pursuit cases, including a traffic pursuit in Hibbing in June 2024 and a March pursuit that started in the Saginaw area and ended in Proctor. Federal guidance on vehicle pursuits says the safety of officers, suspects and uninvolved bystanders is too important to treat high-speed chases as routine, and 911 remains the emergency line when a pursuit creates an immediate danger.