Dirt bike rider crashes during chase

A dirt bike rider is charged after he taunted Cleveland police, led them on a highspeed chase and crashed on the city’s East Side, police said.

Cleveland.com reports Dre Mobley, 24, of Toledo is charged with third-degree felony fleeing and eluding.

The incident began at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday on Way Avenue near East 109th Street, after a Cleveland police sergeant began checking several dirt bikes stashed behind a home to see if any were stolen, according to a Cleveland police report.

One was later found to be stolen from Garfield Heights.

One boy ran from the house as the sergeant investigated. Within 10 minutes of the boy’s departure, several dirt bike riders appeared on the street.

The group sped back and forth past the sergeant, with some riders popping wheelies and traveling against the flow of traffic.

One rider, later identified as Mobley, stood on his bike and rode with one wheel off the ground. He “taunted” police and waved his middle finger at them.

The sergeant contacted the city’s dirt bike enforcement unit, which rode out to the area. They tried to stop Mobley — noting that his bike didn’t have a license plate — but Mobley took off.

He ran about 10 stop signs, reached speeds of up to 50 mph, and drove through a few front yards during the chase.

Mobley struck a curb and fell off the bike. He was taken to University Hospitals, where he was treated and released into police custody.

The chase and crash came two days before City Council approved new regulations on the use of dirt bikes on city streets. Mayor Frank Jackson asked for those regulations back in May.

That legislation requires bikes to be licensed, and bans stunt moves, such as riding while standing up.

Suspected first-time offenders will be cited with second-degree misdemeanors, and suspected repeat offenders will be cited with first-degree misdemeanors.

Police described Mobley’s bike as an “off-road only dirt bike” with a partially missing vehicle identification number.