Hickory Man Gets Five To Seven Year Prison Sentence

A Hickory man will spend up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to fleeing from law enforcement and admitting habitual felon status in Catawba County Superior Court. 30-year-old Chase Alexander Eckhoff was sentenced by Judge Clifton H. Smith to serve five to seven years in prison during a recent court session.

The sentence was enhanced because of prior Catawba County convictions for breaking and entering in 2012 and 2019, along with a 2015 conviction for fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle. The charges stem from a December 11, 2024 traffic stop when deputies reported seeing Eckhoff driving erratically. Investigators say he sped away after officers attempted to detain him, leading deputies on a chase that reached speeds over 100 miles per hour before it was called off for safety reasons.

Warrants were later issued, and Eckhoff was taken into custody. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Greer. As of earlier today (April 29) Eckhoff remained in the Catawba County Detention Facility.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY