LEWISTON — A Rumford woman who led police on multiple high-speed chases in March pleaded guilty to related misdemeanor charges Thursday.

Heather Grant, 42, of 630 Prospect Ave., was charged with eluding an officer, a felony, plus two misdemeanors of criminal speed and one misdemeanor of driving to endanger.

Prosecutors dismissed the felony charge and one of the speeding charges.

Grant was sentenced to 40 days on the other speeding charge and fined $575 for driving to endanger, plus a 30-day loss of license.

She pleaded to a new charge of failing to stop for a police officer, for which she was sentenced to 180 days in jail, but all of that time was suspended.

After her release from jail, she will be on probation for a year. If she were to fail to comply with those conditions, she could be ordered to serve the remainder of the suspended sentence, or roughly six months.

Conditions of her probation include no alcohol or illegal drugs for which she can be searched at random.

She must complete counseling and treatment for substance abuse and mental health issues, and she must take all medications as prescribed.

She may not operate a motor vehicle unless she’s properly licensed by the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.

Police said Grant was stopped one night in early March on Route 4 in Turner by an Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office deputy who said her car was moving at 88 mph in a 45 mph zone. That officer sent her on her way after issuing her a summons. But she apparently hadn’t gone far when a different deputy was attempting to pull her vehicle over for speeding in the same town on the same road a short time later. The first deputy joined the pursuit, but ended it without stopping her

Shortly after midnight, one of the same deputies from the earlier pursuit, who was running radar on Route 4 in Turner, clocked a vehicle traveling northbound at 89 mph in a 45 mph zone.

He recognized the vehicle as the same one he had pursued earlier that night. It had begun to pass several other motorists and operate at high speeds, so he pursued it.

“Both deputies felt the driver was attempting to make her way back to Rumford. As the vehicle turned onto Route 108 toward Canton they attempted another traffic stop but the suspect vehicle sped off reaching speeds of over 100 mph. The deputies terminated the pursuit and notified the Rumford Police Department to be on the lookout,” according to a statement issued by the Sheriff’s Office.

A short time later, officers from the Rumford Police Department reported they had the vehicle stopped, authorities said. An officer responded to Rumford and took Grant into custody and charged her with criminal speed and eluding police.

cwilliams@sunjournal.com

Heather Grant (Androscoggin County Jail)

Copy the Story Link