Suspect in Wednesday Morning High Speed Chase Now Charged

(KNSI) — The suspect accused of trying to break into a business and leading police on a high-speed chase has officially been charged.

According to court documents, the Waite Park Police Department was called to an amateur radio station on the 400 block of 4th Street North at 12:14 a.m. on September 7th for a suspicious vehicle and a possible burglary. Police say they saw a vehicle driving away from the building and attempted to stop the driver, identified as Patrick John Pribyl, but he drove off, reaching speeds of over 100 miles an hour.

According to a press release from Waite Park Police, members of the St. Joseph Police Department were able to deploy stop sticks near County Road 3. However, the vehicle’s tires didn’t immediately deflate. Officers followed Pribyl onto Interstate 94, where his tires began to break apart. Police say Pribyl then took the St. John’s University exit and pulled into a driveway on the 33000 block of 135th Avenue in Avon Township before bailing out of the car and running into a nearby cornfield.

Once he was located, an officer conducted field sobriety tests on Pribyl, which police say he had trouble completing. He also allegedly told investigators he ran because he was scared and admitted he had used meth as recently as two days ago. The business had a gate that was locked with a chain, and the criminal complaint says the chain was partially cut. Inside the car, police say they found bolt cutters, a drill with a cutting disc, wire cutters, and a pipe cutting wrench. They also said they found a bottle of whiskey with a small amount still in the bottle, a gas station cup containing an alcoholic substance, and a red plastic bag containing a white, powdery substance that officers believed was methamphetamine.

The criminal complaint says Pribyl was seen on surveillance video attempting to cut the locks on the gate and running away when a light is activated.

The 56-year-old Pribyl is now charged with possessing burglary or theft tools, fleeing police, and DWI.

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