Man jailed on eluding charge

SANDPOINT - A Spirit Lake man is facing a felony charge after crashing his motorcycle trying to outrun a pursuing Bonner County sheriff's deputy on Saturday.

Kent Thomas Blankenship is charged with attempting to elude a law officer. He also faces misdemeanor counts of failure to provide proof of insurance and driving without privileges.

A deputy spotted Blankenship, 57, riding southbound on Spirit Lake Cutoff Road. Aware that Blankenship's license is suspended and he was wanted on warrants, the deputy turned around and attempted to stop him.

Blankenship throttled down and speeds neared 100 miles an hour at one point during the chase, according to a probable cause affidavit. The chase ended when Blankenship entered a 90-degree curve in the roadway with too much speed, causing him to lay the bike down on the road's shoulder.

Blankenship made an initial appearance on Monday in Bonner County Magistrate Court via video conference from the jail. Judge Gaylen Box set Blankenship's bail at $10,000 and appointed a public defender to represent him, court records indicate.