SALISBURY — A man with arrest warrants out of Virginia was arrested after police say that he fled from a traffic stop on an ATV and then tried to report it stolen when he was out of sight.

Deputies attempted to stop a man driving a blue ATV on Mt. Hope Church Road, according to a spokesperson for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. The driver of the ATV then sped up in an alleged attempt to flee the deputy, reaching speeds of up to 85 mph. Eventually, the driver left the roadway and entered the nearby woods, where the deputy lost sight of him.

Other deputies then responded to the area and began to search the area in an attempt to locate the driver and the ATV. While the search was ongoing, a man called the sheriff’s office and reported that his blue 2011 Yamaha Raptor ATV had been stolen.

Deputies responded to the man’s location in the 9000 block of Castor Road to speak with him about the stolen ATV, where they reportedly noticed that the man was obviously sweating and “appeared to have been running or working out,” according to the spokesperson. When questioned about this by a deputy, the man allegedly admitted that he had been the one fleeing on the ATV.

The ATV was later found near the 300 block of Basinger Kluttz Road.

Clint Aaron Tucker, 42, was arrested and charged with felony flee to elude, driving without liability insurance, failure to heed light or siren, driving while his license was revoked, speeding, reckless driving with wanton disregard, driving left of the center lines and failure to stop for a red light.

During the arrest, deputies discovered that Tucker also had a fugitive warrant from Stafford County in Virginia, which they served him with. Virginia court records indicate that Tucker was wanted in Stafford County for failure to appear for a court date. Tucker was charged with possession of a schedule I or II controlled substance on January 1, 2022 and released on recognizance.

Tucker was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center and given a $40,000 bond.