Motorcycle chase from Raleigh ends in Martin County after 100 miles

A high-speed motorcycle chase that began on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh ended about 100 miles later near Williamston, where the rider finally ran out of gas.

Wake County sheriff’s deputies said a deputy spotted four motorcycles traveling at a high rate of speed around 1 a.m. Saturday on Capital Boulevard, also known as U.S. 1. Court records from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the fastest bike hit 105 miles per hour. When the deputy tried to stop one of the riders, 40-year-old Brandon James Peguese sped away.

The pursuit pushed beyond Wake County and into neighboring jurisdictions in a matter of minutes. Deputies said it continued to the Nash County line before state troopers took over, then moved east through Nash County and into Martin County on U.S. 64. By the time it ended near Williamston, the motorcycle had run dry. No injuries were reported to law enforcement or to Peguese.

The case shows how a traffic stop on a Wake County corridor can quickly become a multi-county chase with risk far beyond the original stop. Capital Boulevard is one of the county’s busiest and most dangerous routes, and a rider accelerating away at more than 100 mph can put other motorists, officers and the suspect himself in immediate danger. Recent Wake County cases involving motorcycles and other vehicles on I-440, I-40, Capital Boulevard and Poole Road point to a broader enforcement problem that reaches across major commuting routes.

Peguese now faces charges including felony flee to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, speeding, failure to heed lights or sirens, reckless driving, driving while impaired, expired registration, failure to maintain lane control and expired inspection. His court date was set for July 1.

North Carolina General Statute 20-141.5 makes fleeing to elude arrest a Class 1 misdemeanor unless aggravating factors raise it to a felony. State law also provides for seizure, impoundment or forfeiture of vehicles in felony speeding-to-elude cases and certain impaired-driving offenses. For Wake County, the question remains the same after another long pursuit: how to stop dangerous drivers before a chase becomes the greater threat.