Montana man fined $1K for instigating police chase

[February 07, 2012]  BUTTE, Mont. (AP) -- A Butte man who told officers he instigated a police chase because he always wanted to try it, found out it'll cost him a $1,000 fine to go with his tire damage.

The Montana Standard in Butte reports (http://bit.ly/xZW1B4) 55-year-old John C. Hughes pleaded guilty Thursday in City Court to reckless driving while eluding a peace officer.

The chase began in the pre-dawn hours Thursday when officers reported a man followed a patrol car for seven blocks before pulling his SUV around and taking off at speeds of up to 70 mph. Officers say Hughes was traveling faster than 100 mph on the interstate before officers laid out a spike strip to flatten his tires.

When asked why he started the chase, Hughes said, "I just always wanted to do that," according to the police report.

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Information from: The Montana Standard, http://www.mtstandard.com/

[Associated Press]

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