Gray man that led police on motorcycle chase receives diverted jail sentence

A Gray man arrested in April after he attempted to outrun police after they clocked him riding his motorcycle in speeds excess of 125 mph on U.S. 25E can avoid five years in prison if he stays out of legal trouble for the next five years.

Jason McGuire was sentenced to five years in prison, diverted for fire years Friday in Knox Circuit Court.

“As long as you don’t have a problem, we won’t have a problem,” Circuit Court Judge Michael Caperton told McGuire during the hearing.

McGuire pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree fleeing or evading police.

In return for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges including: two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, two counts of reckless driving, two counts of speeding – 26 mph or greater over the limit, careless driving, improper passing, failure to or improper signal, no registration receipt, no registration plates, failure to register the transfer of a motor vehicle, no motorcycle operator’s license, no rear view mirror on motorcycle and improper equipment.

The incident occurred on April 10 in Barbourville when Kentucky State Police Trooper Chad Gregory, who was travelling south, reported being passed by a black Suzuki street bike going north at a high rate of speed.

Gregory said his radar indicated McGuire was traveling 126 mph.

“I was contacted by Trooper (Russell) Maynard who observed same motorcycle travelling 121 mph approximately two miles up the highway from my location,” Gregory wrote in the arrest citation. “When (McGuire) passed me he sped up and started passing in between vehicles and in the emergency lane travelling north towards Corbin.”

The pursuit continued north on U.S. 25E, turning off on Ky. 229.

Gregory reported that McGuire passed cars in curves and even while both lanes were occupied he passed on double yellow centerline causing several vehicles to swerve off the roadway.

The pursuit crossed into Laurel County, continuing north on Ky. 229.

As the chase reached the entrance to Levi Jackson State Park, McGuire reportedly stopped and was taken into custody.