A violent and armed felon sped his Harley head-on into a parked State Patrol cruiser on a southwestern Minnesota highway and was thrown to his death, authorities said Monday.

The crash on Cottonwood County Rd. 10, about 25 miles northwest of Windom, killed Chad R. Danneman, 33, of Slayton, Minn., according to the State Patrol. Trooper Jeffery J. Stearns, of Marshall, Minn., escaped Saturday evening with minor injuries.

According to the patrol:

Danneman, armed with a knife, had eluded separate pursuits by deputies from the Cottonwood and Murray County sheriff's offices. Soon after, Trooper Stearns was heading east on County Rd. 10 near County Rd. 5 and spotted Danneman on his motorcycle ahead of him.

Stearns came to a stop and activated his emergency lights. Danneman raced toward the squad car and struck it head-on. Danneman flew off his motorcycle and was dead at the scene.

Danneman's criminal history in Minnesota includes two drunken-driving convictions, and convictions for felony drug possession, terroristic threats, and mistreatment of animals.

In 2010, Danneman was chased down at high speeds and arrested in Montana after an incident at a gas station. A day earlier, he failed to appear in Cottonwood County District Court on suspicion of using wire to tie his Doberman's mouth shut and allowing the dog to freeze to death.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482