A Hartsburg resident has a felony warrant out for his arrest after he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase last month in Cooper County.
According to a probable-cause statement, on April 30, Missouri Highway Patrol troopers initiated a traffic stop near the exit ramp at the 87 mile marker of I-70. The driver was taken to the patrol vehicle to speak with the troopers where they noticed the passenger move to the driver’s seat and began to flee.
During the pursuit, the suspect’s vehicle reportedly reached 106 miles per hour, and the troopers eventually terminated the pursuit due to the erratic driving of the suspect which included traveling towards oncoming traffic. After the chase, the suspect who took the vehicle was identified as 32-year-old Jimmy Dean Bittle.
Online court document say a warrant has been issued, and Bittle is facing a Class D Felony for Tampering with a Motor Vehicle in the First Degree and a Class E Felony for Resisting Arrest/Detention/Stop by Fleeing-Creating a Substantial Risk of Serious Injury or Death to Any Person. Bond has not yet been set.
Bittle’s initial hearing at Cooper County Circuit Court is pending.