Sheriff: Man did wheelies in chase that ended in fatal crash

ABERDEEN, Miss. – A man who a Mississippi sheriff says was performing wheelies on his motorcycle during a chase has died after a crash.

News outlets report 29-year-old Joel Davis Jr. crashed his sports bike Wednesday afternoon in Monroe County, southeast of Tupelo. Itawamba County Sheriff Chris Dickinson says one of his deputies was trying to pull Davis over for speeding.

Dickinson says Davis lost control on a gravel road between Amory and Nettleton. He says Davis had been intentionally slowing down and then speeding away during the pursuit. He says Davis at times performed wheelies mid-chase.

The sheriff says Davis was responsive immediately after the crash. He died hours later at a Tupelo hospital.

Dickinson says Davis was wanted for evading law enforcement in Lee County.