Joy ride leads to court appearance

16 years ago
By Kathy McCarty  
Staff Writer

    Three Southern Aroostook individuals, including two juveniles and an adult male, are facing numerous charges in connection with events that began the evening of Oct. 2 and ended the following morning.
    “Charges were brought against the three after an evening of stealing cars and leading police in a chase which included the ramming of a State Police cruiser,” said Sgt. Julie Bergan, Maine State Police.     Bergan said the evening of Oct. 2 started with the State Police initiating simultaneous investigations into a stolen motor vehicle from Hodgdon and a missing juvenile from Ludlow. Police later learned the two cases were connected.
    “The stolen 2002 GMC pickup was first spotted around midnight by Border Patrol Agent Troy Keehn, who attempted to stop it on I-95 in Houlton. The vehicle failed to stop and continued south on I-95 at speeds over 95 mph before it took the Smyrna exit onto back roads,” said Bergan.
    From there, the pursuit then slowed down considerably to speeds around 35 mph, according to Bergan. Approximately 15 miles into the chase, Bergan set up a police roadblock on the Keith Brook Road in Oakfield. The stolen vehicle went through the roadblock without stopping.
    “I then took the lead in the pursuit, following the pickup another 17 miles toward Island Falls. At this point, Trooper Dennis Quint and Trooper Nicolas Cassavant also joined the pursuit,” she said.
    Pursuit speeds from there ranged from 25 to 60 mph. At one point in the pursuit, Bergan said she was able to drive up alongside the pickup. That’s when the vehicles made contact, as the pickup slammed into Bergan’s cruiser, causing about $1,200 in damage to the police car. Additional Border Patrol agents soon arrived and followed the stolen pickup onto the Sleeper Road, a back country road in Sherman.
    “The pursuit at that point was ended once the terrain became extremely difficult to maneuver in,” explained Bergan.
    Follow-up investigation into the incident determined the three individuals abandoned the vehicle in the woods and started walking out, said Bergan.
    “They walked for a great distance and came across another motor vehicle. One of the juveniles, a male, found the keys to a 2004 Ford Taurus and they all drove for a while. Eighteen-year-old Same Heath was then dropped off at home in Sherman and the two juveniles continued on to Mars Hill, where they met two female juveniles who got into the stolen vehicle headed to Presque Isle,” said Bergan.
    The juveniles were spotted the next morning as they drove through Westfield.
    “At approximately 7:30 the next morning, Sgt. David McPherson, of the State Police, met the vehicle in Westfield and had knowledge that it was reported stolen from Sherman earlier that morning. Sgt. McPherson conducted a felony traffic stop in Westfield and all occupants complied with his orders. The juvenile male was arrested and the three other girls were transported to the Presque Isle Police Department by Officer Larry Fickett,” said Bergan.
    The male juvenile was arraigned in Presque Isle District Court Friday on several charges, including:
• Two counts of unauthorized use of property;
• Passing a police roadblock;
• Driving to endanger;
• Eluding a police officer;
• Operating without a license;
• Speeding 30 plus over the speed limit; and
• Aggravated criminal mischief.
    Heath is facing charges including: two counts of unauthorized use of property and operating a motor vehicle after suspension. His court date has been set for Dec. 2 in Houlton.
    One of the juvenile females is facing a charge of unauthorized use of property.
    Court dates for the juveniles were not available at presstime.