Report: Dirt Bike Ride Turns Into Chase On Cleveland Road

CLAYTON — What started as a deputy’s routine patrol on Cleveland Road turned into a quick chase Tuesday afternoon when two dirt bike riders decided not to stop, according to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 4:20 p.m. on Dec. 9, a deputy spotted two riders on dirt bikes in the 9400 block of Cleveland Road. When the deputy tried to pull them over, the pair reportedly veered off the highway and raced down a path toward a wooded area.

The riders then reportedly cut through a nearby subdivision and then back onto Cleveland Road, reaching speeds between 55 and 60 mph as the deputy followed.

The pursuit came to an abrupt end when one rider tried to make a sharp turn off the roadway and lost control. Both riders surrendered immediately.

Brandon Timothy Robitaille, 21, of Garner, and a juvenile were taken into custody. Robitaille faces charges of felony fleeing to elude arrest, speeding and reckless driving. The juvenile will be charged in juvenile court.

Deputies seized both dirt bikes under North Carolina’s Run and Done law, which allows confiscation of vehicles used to flee law enforcement.

No injuries were reported.