FERRIDAY — A drug bust turned into a high-speed chase Tuesday afternoon for one Concordia Parish Narcotics Task Force agent whose car was rammed by an alleged cocaine dealer during the chase.

Agent John Cowan said he and another narcotics officer were investigating a drug sale on Louisiana 568 in Ferriday at approximately noon Tuesday and tried to make a traffic stop on three people in a 2002 Toyota Camry.

The driver of the Camry, Travis Terrell Atkins, sped away from the agents and headed toward Tensas Parish.

As the officers pursued the Camry on Louisiana 570 near Waterproof, Cowan said he attempted to pass the car in hopes of boxing them in and pulling the car over.

“(Atkins) hit my unit causing his vehicle to fishtail out of control and came around and hit the rear of my unit again while he was spinning out,” Cowan said. “After they spun out, they attempted to go head on with our other investigating units, but that car was able to barely make it out of the way without being hit.”

Cowan said the Camry slid into a ditch, where the front-seat passenger fled across a bean field and got away from CPSO narcotics agents.

Atkins, 30, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, possession of marijuana, felony aggravated flight, two counts resisting an officer and obstruction of justice. No bond was set for Atkins as of Tuesday evening.

The rear seat passenger, Roy Wilson, 35, was arrested on previous bench warrant charges, but did not receive any additional charges from the Tuesday incident.

Cowan said investigators were working to identify the front-seat passenger who fled the scene and issue warrants for his arrest.