A 26-year-old Hutchinson man was taken to jail early Sunday morning when he apparently led police of a chase and ended up crashing his vehicle into a tree was in court Monday for a first appearance.

Ricky Hopewell is jailed on a 27-hundred dollar bond on charges associated with felony flee and elude, DUI, illegal transportation of liquor, and other traffic charges including driving while suspended, no insurance, two counts of leaving the scene of an attended property accident, failure to give info, failing to report an injury accident.

In court, he almost began to weep when he told the judge that he has an alcohol problem and doesn’t really remember what happened. He says he needs help and became somewhat distraught when he told the judge he could have killed himself or someone else.

He requested an O-R bond, while the state thought the bond should stay the same. Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen ended up lowering it to 15-hundred.

The case started when an Hutchinson Police Officer passed him on west 17th Street and he was traveling at a high rate of speed. The officer turned around and attempted to make a traffic stop, but he failed to do so. His vehicle then allegedly struck a tree and a legally parked vehicle 57-year-old Karen Barnes, and a polycart owned by Stutzman’s Refuse and part of a the garage at residence at 1914 James. He then fled from the vehicle to his home which was apparently nearby. Police were able to track him down at his residence.

He was then transported by Reno County E-M-S to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries and then taken to jail.

The accident occurring around 1:10 a-m Sunday morning in the 1900 block James Street in Hutchinson.

Hopewell will be back in court at a later date, once the state files formal charges.