18-year-old Blaze Damian Strickler of Maple Street in Granite Falls was arrested by Hickory Police late last Friday (June 16) on one felony count of speeding to elude arrest with a motor vehicle with two aggravating factors and reckless driving with wanton disregard, along with misdemeanor counts of no operator’s license and no motorcycle operator’s license. He was also issued three citations for failure to stop at a steady red light.

Following a vehicle chase, he was taken into custody at about 11 p.m. Friday at C.V.C.C. on Highway 70 S.E. Strickler was taken to the Catawba County Detention Facility with bond set at $5,000, secured. He has since been released. Strickler was scheduled to make a first appearance in District Court this past Monday (June 19) with his next court date coming up on July 11 in Newton.