High-speed chase nets teen 75 days in jail, $2,000 fine

An 18-year-old man who was driving drunk when he led police on a high-speed chase on residential streets in Mitchell was sentenced Tuesday to 75 days in jail and ordered to pay more than $2,000 in restitution.

Dahjrick Jayde Clark, of Mitchell, was arrested May 26 after leading Davison County sheriff’s deputies on a pursuit, during which Clark drove at speeds approaching 100 mph in a 25-mph zone on Norway Avenue with “numerous people standing outside, as well as other traffic,” court documents say.

Clark pleaded guilty Oct. 16 to aggravated eluding and second-offense drunken driving.

In addition to jail and restitution, Judge Rodney Steele put Clark on probation for four years and granted him a suspended imposition of sentence on both charges, which means he has the opportunity to clear his record if he follows all the terms of his probation.

Clark’s attorney Doug Dailey, of Mitchell, said Clark had enrolled at the University of South Dakota, completed counseling and had no violations of the 24/7 Sobriety program since the incident.

“He’s done excellent since his arrest,” Dailey said.

Though Davison County State’s Attorney Pat Smith agreed, he also noted the severity of Clark’s crime. “It’s very difficult to look past the behavior that landed him in court,” Smith said. “The word outrageous isn’t necessarily out of place.” Smith did not object to Clark’s request for a suspended imposition, saying he would leave that decision to Steele.

Steele also revoked Clark’s driver’s license for one year and ordered he write letters of apology to all the deputies involved in the chase.

“You put a lot in jeopardy,” Steele said. “Including the lives of other people.”

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