Jeannette man, wanted in Wisconsin, crashes car after 105 mph police chase on Route 30

A 3-mile midday police chase on Route 30 in Hempfield reached speeds of 105 mph before the suspect crashed, according to court papers.

State troopers charged Nathan M. Etheridge, 33, of Jeannette, Wednesday with fleeing from police, driving under the influence and related offenses, as well as a list of summary vehicle code violations.

Police were notified around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday that Etheridge, who was wanted by authorities in Wisconsin, was getting into his car and heading toward Lowry Avenue, according to court papers. A trooper and Jeannette officer followed him to Route 30 and tried to make a traffic stop, but police said the suspect took off west on the highway.

Etheridge reportedly traveled at 105 mph in a 45 mph zone, drove into the eastbound lanes and a center turning lane and crashed into a guide rail at the intersection with South Thompson Lane, just over the border into North Huntingdon. It was unclear from court papers if he was hurt.

Route 30 in the Adamsburg area is traveled by about 27,000 vehicles daily, according to PennDOT traffic maps.

Authorities said they found used syringes and two stamp bags of drugs in his car. He admitted to using fentanyl a few hours before leaving his house, according to court papers. Wisconsin authorities have an arrest warrant for him for a parole violation in connection with an armed robbery, troopers said.

Etheridge did not have an attorney listed in online court records. He was being held on $150,000 bail at the Westmoreland County Prison. A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 27. A date had not been set for an extradition hearing.