A 40-year-old local man was arrested on July 16 after authorities say he attempted to strangle a pregnant woman and then led police on a high speed pursuit that ended in a PIT maneuver.

Weston Lloyd Ballard, of Bannock County, has been charged with attempted strangulation, driving under the influence and eluding police, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of an open container of alcohol and driving without privileges, court records show.

The incident began to unfold around 1:30 a.m. July 16 when Bannock County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the area of West Tyhee and North Rio Vista roads for the report of a physical disturbance between a man and a woman, according to a Sheriff’s Office incident report the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

Upon arrival, deputies came into contact with the female victim who said she was driving a silver Nissan Sentra when Ballard grabbed her by the throat and then struck her in the face, the incident report says.

The woman, who was four to six weeks pregnant at the time, stopped the vehicle and Ballard exited the car to get into the driver’s seat and the woman attempted to drive away but Ballard was able to get back into the car, deputies said.

Ballard then slapped the woman twice with the back of his hand, the woman told police, before getting into the driver’s seat. The woman fled from the car and hid behind a brick building before calling 911, according to the report.

While the deputies were interviewing the woman, she observed Ballard driving the Nissan Sentra south on North Rio Vista Road at which point the deputies initiated a vehicle pursuit, deputies said.

The pursuit continued into the Chubbuck area, with Ballard reaching speeds in excess of 70 mph, the report states, adding that Fort Hall police joined the pursuit and deployed a spike strip on Ballard Road but it was unsuccessful.

Ballard began throwing beer cans out of the car’s window during the pursuit and driving with his lights off before Bannock County ultimately requested assistance from the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office. A Bingham County deputy was able to successfully stop the vehicle with a PIT maneuver near Ross Fork and Gay Mine roads, deputies said.

Ballard began yelling at law enforcement on scene and ignored their commands, exiting the car with a beer in his hand and then drinking it in front of the law enforcement officials, according to the report.

One of the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office deputies then brought his K-9 partner out of his patrol car and ordered Ballard to exit the vehicle, at which point Ballard complied and was taken into custody without further incident, deputies said.

He was subsequently booked inside the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello.

Ballard appeared in front of 6th District Judge David Hooste for an arraignment hearing on July 17, during which his bond was set at $75,000 and a no-contact order was issued between him and the victim.

Ballard is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on July 31, during which prosecutors will attempt to prove there is enough evidence against him to elevate the case from the magistrate to district court level for trial.

If convicted of the felony attempted strangulation, driving under the influence and eluding charges, Ballard faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $105,000.