Police Car Crashes After Chase Along Mountain Road In Shippen Township

http://www.wearecentralpa.com/news/police-car-crashes-after-chase-along-mountain-road
By Alex Belser | abelser@wtajtv.com

""Police say an officer in Cameron County lost control of his patrol car while trying to call into dispatch.

He wanted to tell them he was in the middle of a chase, and had just crossed outside his jurisdiction.

It happened on Whittimore Road, just outside of Emporium. The chief says a state police car was also right behind him.

Police say they spotted the suspect, and tried to pull him over, when instead he drove away and led police on a chase along a twisting, mountainous road to get away.

The police chief says he noticed Michael Pearson, 33, Emporium, was driving even though he has a suspended license and has been repeatedly caught driving anyway.

He says he notified Officer Patrick Straub. Police say Straub saw the SUV on S. Broad Street, but as he made a U-turn, and turned on his emergency lights, Pearson started to speed away.

"The person took off and went up over the mountain. The officer followed and went to radio, and as he did, didn't negotiate the turn and lost it and went into the ditch," says Chief Dave Merritt.

It happened around 10:30 p.m. Thursday. The criminal complaint says that during the half-mile chase, speeds were up to 59 miles an hour.

"That was at the first first switchback in the road and the officer was unfamiliar with the road and the area up there," says Merritt.

The borough manager says he's had the chief contact their insurance company to get the bumper repaired and luckily the officer was okay.

"I took my own vehicle and was there in a matter of moments after the wreck to check on the officer and the officer was fine, was wearing a seatbelt, and was not harmed at all," says Merritt.

Pearson's neighbors questioned the necessity of a chase.

"I think sometimes it's foolish, especially when you're going up this mountain, chasing somebody," says resident Franklin Schuckers.

"If it's something really really super bad, I think yeah, they may have to engage in a chase, but if they don't have to, radios work much better. They can radio ahead," says resident Kent Davis.

Police say Pearson was arraigned the next day.

"Listen, they make cars every day of the week. Nobody was hurt. That's the main ingredient," says Mark Ramsey, who towed the car.

Pearson is facing charges including eluding a police officer and driving without a license. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bail. """