Man appears in court after high-speed chase

WILLMAR - The man who is alleged to have led a Kandiyohi County sheriff’s deputy on a two-county, high-speed chase Sunday made his first appearance Tuesday in Kandiyohi County District Court on four charges stemming from the incident.
Court documents identify the man as Sergio Hernan Benavides, 20, of Willmar. An address of Edcouch, Texas, was also listed in the criminal complaint.
Benavides faces a felony charge of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, two misdemeanor charges of driving while impaired and misdemeanor speeding in excess of 55 miles per hour.
Unconditional bail was set at $25,000 cash or bond. Conditional bail was set at $500 cash or $5,000 bond, including conditions that he not leave the state without court approval and that he not possess alcohol or drugs.
According to the criminal complaint, a deputy was patrolling on U.S. Highway 71 near 240th Avenue in rural New London and pursued the vehicle with emergency lights flashing after it was observed to be traveling at 91 miles per hour.
The chase continued into Belgrade, where the vehicle ran off the roadway, into a grass median and then reportedly proceeded westbound on state Highway 55 at speeds reaching 120 miles per hour. The speed limit in that area is 60 miles per hour.
According to the complaint, the vehicle stopped in Brooten and the driver was identified as Benavides, who allegedly had the odor of alcohol on his breath and admitted to drinking.
Benavides was arrested after he failed a field sobriety test. Tests allegedly showed that he had a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.