AUGUSTA — A city woman struck a police cruiser during a chase Monday night before later crashing into a telephone pole at the end of a dead-end road, authorities said.
Katelynn Marie McLaughlin, 28, of Augusta, was arrested following the chase that began on Anthony Avenue and then went onto Leighton Road, Mount Vernon Road and ended on Wade Road. She was charged with eluding an officer, motor vehicle speeding more than 30 mph over the speed limit, violating condition of release, refusing to submit to arrest or detention — physical force, and aggravated criminal mischief.
McLaughlin was also arrested on warrants for burglary, forgery, theft and violating condition of release, and those warrants were the reason police initially sought to pull her over.
Officer Simon Yorks was finishing up responding to a crash scene near the intersection of Civic Center Drive and Darin Drive at 7:46 p.m. Monday when he saw McLaughlin’s vehicle drive by and, because he knew there was a warrant out for her arrest, sought to stop her.
Instead, she fled, striking Yorks’ police cruiser in the process. Yorks was not injured and an estimate of damage to his cruiser was not available Tuesday, according to Sgt. Jesse Brann.
The chase reached speeds of 80 mph and involved two police cruisers. It ended when McLaughlin drove beyond the dead-end on Wade Road and struck a telephone pole, wrecking her vehicle.
She was taken by ambulance to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta to make sure she was not injured, Brann said.
Brann said McLaughlin resisted being taken into police custody, resulting in the refusal to submit to arrest or detention charge against her.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
