A Stewartville man said he was “scared” when he allegedly fled down a gravel road in 2001 Buick LeSabre at more than 65 mph from a Mower County Sheriff’s deputy.

Joseph Alan Raygor, 35, who made his first appearance in Mower County District Court on Nov. 21, is charged with felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and two, second-degree gross misdemeanors for driving under the influence of a controlled substance and refusing to provide a blood or urine sample.

District Court Judge Kevin Siefken set bail at $3,000 with conditions and $20,000 without.

Raygor was granted a public defender.

According to the criminal complaint, a deputy saw taillights on 795th Avenue — a minimum maintenance road with no houses —  just north of 300th Street. As the car driven by Raygor departed, the deputy noticed a license plate light not working and activated his squad car’s emergency lights to make a traffic stop. The Buick accelerated rapidly and turned onto the gravel 115th Avenue and sped up to more than 65 mph, before stopping about 1.4 miles later.

The deputy reported Raygor failed field sobriety tests and when the deputy asked why he fled, Raygor said he did not know “what was going on and he was ‘scared.’”

Raygor has two driving while under the influence convictions within 10 years in Wabasha and Olmsted counties, the complaint said.

At the jail he refused to give a sample for chemical testing.

He has been granted a public defender.