Kenly Man Arrested After Reaching 180 MPH In High-Speed Motorcycle Chase

LENOIR COUNTY — A Kenly man is facing multiple charges after leading law enforcement on a high-speed motorcycle chase early Saturday morning on I-795.

According to the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, the pursuit began in the early hours of September 21, when deputies with the Crash Reduction Team (CRT) attempted to stop a speeding motorcycle as part of a regional traffic enforcement initiative. The rider, identified as Christopher Pennington, age 42, of Kenly, reportedly refused to stop and accelerated to approximately 180 mph in an apparent attempt to flee.

The chase, which involved coordination between the Lenoir County CRT, the Wayne County DWI Task Force, and the Onslow County DWI Task Force, continued toward Goldsboro in Wayne County. The pursuit ended when the motorcycle suffered a mechanical failure and became disabled before bursting into flames. Deputies were able to take Pennington into custody without further incident.

During the arrest, officers said they recovered a concealed firearm from Pennington’s person. He was charged with felony flee to elude arrest, reckless driving, speeding, no operators license, no motorcycle endorsement, operate a vehicle with no insurance, expired registration, failure to maintain lane control, failure to stop for a red light, expired/no inspection, and other traffic-related offenses.

Lenoir County Sheriff Jackie Rogers emphasized the importance of regional collaboration in combatting dangerous driving and criminal activity. “The partnerships of our agencies and our teams across North Carolina not only serve to protect our own county citizens, but the state as a whole,” Rogers said.