Butler man pleads guilty in high-speed chase case
A 44-year-old Butler man's speeding case came to a halt Wednesday when the man took a plea deal that calls for prison time.
Jamie C. Wright pleaded guilty to leading police on a high-speed car chase in and around the city of Butler that hit speeds of 100 mph. The March 2019 chase became so dangerous to other motorists, with Wright weaving in and out of oncoming traffic, that police were forced to call off their pursuit. The plea deal calls for a prison sentence of 18 months to three years, followed by two years of probation.
Wright also pleaded guilty to three other cases in which he was involved over the past few years.
Butler Patrolman Ryan Doctor wrote in his affidavit he was traveling south on Broad Street around 2 p.m. on March 13 when he came upon Wright's Nissan sedan at the West New Castle Street intersection.
The Eagle previously reported police had been on the lookout for Wright's car because they knew the vehicle's registration was suspended. Officers spotted the vehicle and tried to stop Wright on South Chestnut Street. But instead of stopping, Wright accelerated “in a careless fashion in an apparent attempt to elude (police),” according to charging documents.
Documents report the chase hit 100 mph and involved several units as it continued out of the city and into Butler Township.
Doctor noted police ended the chase for “safety concerns” after Wright passed several vehicles on Route 8.
Wright was nabbed around 12:20 p.m. the next day after an officer spotted him going into a Butler pizza shop.
Wright faces various jail sentences in relation to the multiple cases, with all running simultaneously.
In one of those cases, Wright pleaded guilty to criminally trespassing into a friend's home in Butler on Oct. 21, 2018.
And in another case, this one involving possession of crack cocaine, he will face no further penalties.
Wright made no statement during his Wednesday appearance. Since November, Wright has split his time between the county jail and the one in Allegheny County, where he faces still more criminal cases.
