Mahnomen Man Arrested After High Speed Chase

Jerry Belgarde (L) Michele Perona (R) (Photos:Clay and Cass County jails)

CASS COUNTY, N.D. (KFGO) – Two men are arrested after a high-speed chase that began in Clay County and ended in Cass County Wednesday afternoon.

A Clay County deputy spotted a pickup traveling north of Moorhead speeding at 97 miles per hour and pulled the vehicle over.  During the stop, the driver and a passenger switched seats and fled. The deputy pursued the pickup westbound on County Road 26 at speeds reaching 100 mph.

Stop sticks were used, but the vehicle kept going until County Road 26 and Highway 75 where the pursuit was terminated. A short distance away, the pickup stopped and the passenger, who was the original driver, got out and was arrested.

Forty-three-year-old Jerry Belgarde of Mahnomen faces a number of charges including DWI, no vehicle insurance, and driving under suspension.

The driver continued west, crossing into Cass County, where the driver, Michele Perona, crashed at 19th Avenue North and County Road 17. He then fled on foot into a tree row before being arrested without incident and taken to a hospital for minor injuries received in the crash.

Perona, of Moorhead, is facing a number of charges including DUI and reckless endangerment. He will also be facing charges in Clay County.