LEWISTON – A routine traffic stop early Sunday morning quickly turned into a high-speed chase that ended when a vehicle rolled over.

The chase began around 1 a.m. when Officer Robert Pearce attempted to pull over Curt Fuller, 31, of Sabattus, on suspicion of operating under the influence and excessive speed on Sabattus Street, according to police.

Sgt. Kelly Hamel said Fuller failed to stop for Pearce and, instead, led Lewiston, Sabattus and Lisbon police on a circuitous route.

“The chase started on Sabattus Street and continued through Sabattus and into Lisbon,” Hamel reported Sunday night. “From Lisbon, Fuller made his way through Bowdoin and looped around back into Sabattus, all the while pursued by police.”

Hamel said several attempts were made to set up a spike mat to flatten Fuller’s tires, but he made many unexpected turns and unwittingly avoided the trap.

The chase came to a screeching halt on Bowdoinham Road at approximately 1:15 a.m. when Fuller lost control of the 2001 Mazda he was driving. Hamel was unsure of the exact speeds reached during the chase, but said he was pretty certain that high speed contributed to the rollover that ended the chase.

Fuller had no passengers in the vehicle and was treated for minor injuries at Central Maine Medical Center.

Lewiston police issued a summons to Fuller on Sunday morning, charging him with operating under the influence and eluding a police officer.

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