A Robertsdale man who led a Loxley police officer on a high-speed chase, apparently in an attempt to elude the officer because he was wanted by Robertsdale police on a failure to appear warrant, is now incarcerated at the Baldwin County Corrections Center.

Rodney Karl Hamric, 49, of Robertsdale is facing 14 charges from the incident.

While attempting to outrun the Loxley cruiser, Hamric reportedly drove at speeds which sometimes exceeded 100 mph on Highways 59 and 90, as well as numerous county roads,before he was stopped.

According to Loxley Police Chief Mike Murphy, the chase began at 12:23 p.m. Saturday afternoon when Loxley Police Officer Doug Phillips , who was on patrol, noticed a 1989 Lincoln with an expired tag traveling north of Highway 59. When he attempted to pull the car over, the driver sped off, turning off Highway 59 onto County Road 49 and then west on Highway 90.

The officer was led on a chase south on County Road 64, where he made a turn onto County road 54, heading back to Loxley. He cut across Barlow Road to County Road 55 and back on to Highway 59, with Phillips in pursuit. Both cars were traveling at high speeds.

“Hamric was in the right hand lane going south when he abruptly turned left, crossing the northbound lane and across the two southbound lanes and into a ditch at Mounts Motors. He then drove around the mobile home on the property. He was doing donuts and driving recklessly in the parking lot,” Murphy said.

At that point, Hamric apparently realized he was boxed in by fences and he stopped the car. When Phillips got out of his cruiser, leaving the door open, Murphy said, Hamric “came right at the officer” but at the last minute Hamric swerved, hitting the cruiser. The cruiser sustained minor damage to the front end. Neither Hamric nor Phillips was injured.

Murphy said when Phillips ducked behind the door of his cruiser and fired his weapon Hamric “threw up his hands and gave up,” he said.

Crack cocaine, a crack pipe and an open container of alcohol was found in the Lincoln after Hamric surrendered.

Hamric was taken to the Loxley Police Department where he was formally charged and then transported to the Baldwin County Corrections Center.

Hamric is charged with:

— Attempted first-degree assault.

— Two counts of second-degree criminal mischief.

— Possession of a controlled substance.

— Possession of drug paraphernalia.

— Reckless endangerment.

— Reckless driving.

— Attempt to elude police.

— Failure to maintain lane.

— Switched tag.

— Three counts of running a stop sign.

— Driving with an open container of alcohol.

Murphy said Hamric also has many prior offenses. “He has a rap sheet multiple pages long,” he said.

Hamric was charged with second-degree assault in 1995; third-degree assault in 1996; reckless endangerment in 1996; third-degree assault and two charges of assault in 1997; harassment in 1998; and harassment in 1999. In 2004, Hamric was detained in Baldwin County and held for another police jurisdiction.

At press time, Hamric was being held at the Baldwin County Corrections Center awaiting a bond hearing.

“We’re very fortunate that nobody was hurt. He endangered his life and the lives of other motorists,” the chief said.