This story has been updated.
The driver of a pickup truck who allegedly drove off without paying for gas in Ashland crashed the vehicle in Perham, according to Ashland police.
The reported theft of gasoline and diesel occurred Tuesday at the town’s Shell station, Ashland Police Chief Michael Montpetit said in a social media release.
Police posted a photo of the truck and asked the public’s help to identify its driver.
Later that night, Lt. Mitchell Wheeler spotted the truck and tried to stop the driver, who sped away north on Portage Road, Montpetit said. Wheeler ended the chase after it reached unsafe speeds.
The truck was found crashed and abandoned on High Meadow Road in Perham, the chief said.
Maine State Police officers found the truck, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss. Ashland police are investigating, Moss said.
The driver has not been identified, Montpetit said Thursday.
“We are in the process of obtaining a search warrant so we can examine the truck and determine who it belongs to,” he said.
