Jamestown motorcycle chase tops 100 mph, ends in rural crash

A Jamestown motorcycle pursuit that surged past 100 mph ended in a rural crash near Windsor, sending one local man to jail and drawing in law enforcement from across Stutsman County.

Police said the chase began near 1st Avenue South in Jamestown just before 5 p.m. Thursday, when an officer tried to stop a blue 2005 Harley-Davidson. Instead of pulling over, the rider accelerated through city streets and reached about 97 mph before the pursuit moved onto westbound Interstate 94, where speeds climbed as high as 115 mph.

Authorities identified the rider as Auston James Peterson, 30, of Jamestown. The chase continued west on I-94 until Peterson exited near Windsor, then headed north on 67 1/2 Ave. SE. Reports say he crossed railroad tracks, turned onto a gravel road and crashed just north of Windsor. Another account said the motorcycle went down after leaving the interstate and traveling rural roads outside town.

Peterson was taken to Jamestown Regional Medical Center before being booked into the Stutsman County Jail, also referred to in some reports as the Stutsman County Correctional Center. Police said the suspected offenses include fleeing, DUI, driving under suspension and carrying a concealed weapon. Investigators said additional charges remained possible as the case stayed under review.

The response stretched beyond Jamestown police. The Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office, the Stutsman County Drug Task Force and the North Dakota Highway Patrol assisted, underscoring how quickly a city traffic stop turned into a countywide public-safety incident. The Stutsman County Law Enforcement Center at 205 6th Street SE in Jamestown houses the Jamestown Police Department, the sheriff’s office, the Highway Patrol and the county’s 911 communications center, placing several agencies under one roof during emergencies like this.

The geography helps explain the danger. Stutsman County covers 2,298 square miles, making it the second-largest county in North Dakota, and Jamestown sits at the intersection of Interstate 94 and Highway 281. That mix of city streets, interstate traffic and rural gravel roads gave the pursuit multiple points where motorists, deputies and nearby residents could have been put at risk. The case is a stark reminder of how fast a stop attempt in Jamestown can spill into the countryside and force a coordinated response across local jurisdictions.