A Twin Cities motorcyclist zipping along at 83 miles per hour in western Wisconsin caught the attention of a state trooper parked in the median of Interstate 94.

On went the squad's flashing lights and sirens, and that's when the rider opened up the throttle on his 2006 Yamaha RS racer to 132 mph, the Minnesota border growing ever larger just ahead.

However, the late-night pursuit quickly ended along westbound Interstate 94 about 1 a.m. Monday, when the helmeted rider crashed and was pitched into the heavy brush roughly 5 miles from his home state, according to the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office described Zachary G. Mills, 20, of Eden Prairie, as "conscious and alert" immediately afterward, and Sheriff's Capt. Jeff Klatt said believes the helmet "probably saved him from having serious head injuries."

In both Minnesota and Wisconsin, only motorcycle riders under age 18 are required to wear a helmet.

Mills was being treated at Regions Hospital in St. Paul for leg and hip injuries, Klatt said. A hospital spokesman said Mills was in fair condition Monday afternoon. Charges against him are pending.

Klatt said Mills indicated he didn't stop because "he didn't know the trooper was behind him."

If not for the crash, who knows how much faster Mills could have gone. His model of motorcycle has a top speed of 154 mph.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482