A Standish man is facing criminal charges after police say he failed to stop for a state trooper Monday afternoon, initiating a long high-speed chase.
State police said Pasquale Lapomarda, 21, was driving a 2004 Ranger Rover north on Route 1 in Brunswick when a state trooper spotted him about 4:05 p.m. going more than 30 mph over the speed limit, a misdemeanor crime.
Lapomarda failed to pull over when the trooper activated his lights and siren. He then increased his speed, eventually reaching 102 mph as he drove north toward West Bath, state police said.
The speed of the chase decreased as the two vehicles approached Bath, and eventually the trooper stopped chasing Lapomarda as they entered heavy commuter traffic. Police had received multiple reports from drivers on Interstate 295 who said a Range Rover with the same license plate was being driven erratically and at high speeds.
The trooper tried again to make a traffic stop and Lapomarda pulled over briefly but sped away again toward Wiscasset. Troopers contacted Wiscasset police, who deployed spike strips that deflated both of Lapomarda’s rear tires, state police said. The chase continued at slow speeds for about a mile, until the Range Rover came to a stop in front of Big Al’s Super Values on Route 1.
Lapomarda was checked out at a local hospital and issued summonses for criminal speed, eluding an officer, passing a roadblock and reckless conduct.
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