A motorcycle rider who wrecked while running from the law at speeds over 100 mph amazingly walked away from the crash Monday afternoon.

“I figured he was dead,” said state trooper Jimmy Jones, who said he reached a top speed of 131 mph during the two-county chase. “It’s unbelievable he came out of this with so few injuries.”

Robert Langford, 42, was taken first to Saint Thomas River Park and then to Warren County Jail after his crash on Spencer Highway around 12:30 p.m. Monday. Langford faces charges of evading arrest, reckless driving, and driving on a revoked license. Trooper Jones says he also has warrants on him from Franklin County, although he had been living here recently.

Langford not only survived the wreck, he came out of it running.

“I stopped my car and figured there was no way he could have survived,” said Jones. “I looked over to try to spot him and he’s up and running. He was limping, but he was running. He looked up at me and said, ‘I think I broke my foot.’ I pulled my gun on him and said, ‘A lot more is going to be broke if you don’t get on the ground.’”

The incident began Monday when Jones noticed Langford traveling on Sparta Highway at what he described “a very high rate of speed.” Jones said he attempted to pull over the suspect but he did a U-turn near the old Powers 4-Lane gas station. Jones was in pursuit as Langford turned at the flashing light and headed toward Spencer on Highway 30.

“We went all the way to the foot of the mountain in Van Buren County and back again,” said Jones. “We were going about 125 mph most of the way. I would have called off the chase but I didn’t know what he was running for and we didn’t pass any traffic. We didn’t encounter a single car there or back.”

Jones said Langford laid the motorcycle down while trying to negotiate a curve near Walker Nursery. He slid about 100 yards before leaving the roadway and flying over an embankment.

Langford was taken to the hospital in handcuffs and later booked at Warren County Jail.