By Bonnie Culverhouse

For the second time in as many days, Minden Police found themselves in a high-speed chase – this time the driver covered a lot of territory, sometimes in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Racking up charges in Webster and Claiborne parishes was James Matthew Patterson, 40, of Highway 159, Minden.

Chief Jared McIver said Off. Lita Hopkins was patrolling Homer Road Thursday morning when she observed a subject pass a vehicle, crossing the double yellow line into oncoming traffic.

“She tried to stop him and then gave chase up Country Club Circle, Germantown Road to Kisatchie National Forest roads, back to Germantown Road, up to Highway 2 in Claiborne Parish,” McIver said. “Then he turned east toward Homer.”

The chief said the pursuit ended with a collision between the subject and law enforcement officials’ vehicles. There were no injuries.

Claiborne Parish arrested Patterson for speeding, aggravated assault with a vehicle, careless operation of a motor vehicle, running a stop sign, failure to maintain his lane, no turn signal, resisting an officer, aggravated criminal damage to property, flight from an officer and no seatbelt.

Minden Police’s charges include improper lane usage, passing on a double yellow line, passing a school bus, littering and aggravated flight from an officer.

“While we were in Webster Parish, the driver was steadily throwing things out of his windows … water bottles and a black package,” McIver said. “We went so many places, it was hard to go back and find anything. Right now, Wildlife and Fisheries is in Kisatchie looking for the black package.”

The chief said Claiborne Sheriff’s deputies and Louisiana State Troopers were involved, along with Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies.

“They were a huge help,” McIver said. “Sheriff (Sam) Dowies with Claiborne Parish  … all his deputies were a huge help. All these agencies working together is what made it happen,” McIver said of the arrest. 

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.