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Front Royal man indicted after 100 mph chase through Rappahannock

by | Jan 21, 2025

Chris Harpine was indicted by a grand jury in Rappahannock County Circuit Court Monday on charges related to a high-speed chase in August of up to 100 mph through Rappahannock County.

Harpine, 50, of Front Royal, allegedly fled the scene after Deputy David Meade pulled him over for speeding 79 mph in a 55 mph zone near the intersection of Hittles Mill Road and Zachary Taylor Highway in Huntly, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.

The deputy found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, and discovered that Harpine was wanted in Warren County on probation violations, according to the criminal complaint. In all there were eight charges filed against Harpine.

Meade pursued Harpine who at times was traveling over 100 mph, according to a press release from the Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office, into Warren County. He was eventually joined in the chase by deputies from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police.

Meade eventually discontinued his pursuit, according to the criminal complaint, and Harpine was later apprehended by Warren County law enforcement.

Harpine will appear in court Jan. 16 for a status hearing.

Ireland Hayes is a reporter for Foothills Forum, a nonprofit organization that supports local news in Rappahannock County.

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By Ireland Hayes

Read more articles by Ireland Hayes
Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner. Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.