Bikers arrested after high-speed chase
Two area motorcyclists were arrested and charged with a string of traffic violations after a police chase that at times exceeded 100 miles per hour and ended for one biker on the Hancock Bridge.
Donald David Bradley, 22, of Hedgesville and Gregory Lewis Forney, 22, of Berkeley Springs, were arrested and charged with fleeing from an officer in a vehicle, speeding, reckless driving, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, failure to obey a traffic control device and improper passing.
The chase began shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, June 25 when Bath Patrolman Darrell Cox spotted Forney and another man driving near the intersection of South Washington Street and Martinsburg Road in Berkeley Springs, according to the criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court.
Cox recognized Forney and knew his driver’s license had been revoked due to a DUI arrest.
The other man was later identified as Bradley.
Cox said he tried to stop the men, but they passed several vehicles in the left lane and ran the stop light at the intersection. Cox then radioed Morgan County Dispatch for assistance.
Deputy Sheriff S.A. Place set up a roadblock at Union and North Washington streets, but the motorcyclists again failed to stop, according to police.
Place and Cox pursued the motorcycles at speeds over 100 miles-per-hour north on U.S. 522. Cox notified dispatch to contact Maryland State Police.
Place observed heavy smoke near U.S. Silica, possibly indicating a mechanical problem with one of the motorcycles.
By then, Deputy Sheriff R. Haynes was stationed at the intersection of U.S. 522 and River Road.
Bradley’s motorcycle quit running on the bridge where he was apprehended by Haynes and Place.
Hancock Patrolman Scott Wolff and Maryland Trooper Ward arrived at the scene and arrested Bradley, who was taken to Washington County Jail in Hagerstown, but was later returned to Morgan County.
Forney was arrested the next day by Cox.
Both suspects were arraigned in Magistrate Court on Monday, June 28. Magistrate Greg Miller set bond at $25,000 each and they were taken to the Eastern Region Jail in Martinsburg.
