Trial set in car-chase case

Tuesday, May 12, 1998 | 9:57 a.m.

A fugitive out of Idaho Falls, Idaho, has pleaded not guilty to charges of shooting at Nevada Highway Patrol troopers during a high-speed pursuit and then crashing into a patrol car.

District Judge Donald Mosley on Monday set a June 8 trial date for 50-year-old James Seek on charges of attempted murder, shooting into a vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon and failing to stop on the signal of a police officer.

All counts, which resulted from a Clark County Grand Jury indictment on May 6, are felonies.

Seek, who was wanted for a probation violation on a burglary charge, had been classified by authorities in Idaho as dangerous.

The April incident began when an NHP trooper stopped a black Monte Carlo with Idaho plates for suspected drunken driving after observing the vehicle swerving along State Route 160 east of Pahrump, authorities said.

The driver had gotten out of the car at the trooper's request when the passenger -- alleged to be Seek -- slid behind the wheel and sped off eastbound, according to Metro Police homicide unit Lt. Wayne Petersen.

A second NHP unit spotted the Monte Carlo about 12 miles west of Interstate 15 and attempted to stop the vehicle, which was "wildly passing vehicles and running several cars off the road," Petersen said.

At Industrial Road, Seek is charged with pointing a handgun out of the Monte Carlo's sunroof and firing several rounds at pursuing officers. An officer stopping traffic at the intersection returned fire.

The chase ended 300 yards away when Seek's vehicle crashed into an NHP patrol car stopped in its path.

A .357-caliber Magnum that troopers found in the car was stolen, police said.

No one was reported injured in the shooting.