James C. Wright

A high-speed chase with police in and out of Butler landed a man behind bars on $100,000 bail.

The Wednesday afternoon pursuit, which hit speeds around 100 mph, became so dangerous to other motorists, authorities said, that police had to call it off, authorities said.

Jamie C. Wright, 43, who has no known address, allegedly got away — but not for long. Police arrested him the next day.

He was nabbed around 12:20 p.m. Thursday after an officer spotted him going into a Butler pizza shop.

District Judge William Fullerton later arraigned him on a felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude police and several traffic violations, including driving with a suspended license, reckless driving and driving with suspended registration.

Butler Patrolman Ryan Doctor said he was traveling south on Broad Street around 2 p.m. Wednesday when he came upon Wright's Nissan sedan at the West New Castle Street intersection.

Police had been on the lookout for Wright and the car because they knew the vehicle's registration was suspended.

The officer subsequently activated his cruiser's emergency lights and siren, police said, and tried to stop the defendant on South Chestnut Street.

But Wright did not stop and accelerated “in a careless fashion in an apparent attempt to elude (police),” Doctor said in his affidavit that accompanied charging documents.

He allegedly ran a stop sign on West Pearl Street as he turned to head north up North Main Street hill. At that point, police said, three city officers were in pursuit.

And before long, documents said, the chase hit 100 mph as it continued out of the city and into and out of Butler Township.

In his attempted getaway, Wright allegedly traveled onto the shoulder of the road to pass other vehicles. He also is accused of running a red light on Route 8 at the Clearview Mall in Center Township.

Police said at times he also crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic.

Doctor noted that past Shanor Heights on Route 8 and after the defendant allegedly passed two more vehicles on the right, police ended the chase for “safety concerns.”

Wright remains in the Butler County Prison while awaiting his preliminary hearing March 25.

According to court records, at the time of his arrest Wright was free on bail in connection with an alleged break-in Oct. 21 at a friend's home in Butler.

He was arrested on burglary and theft charges in that case Feb. 28 and placed in the county prison on $3,000 bail.

But after waiving those charges to court at his preliminary hearing Monday, he was given nonmonetary bail and released on pretrial supervision.