JAY — A local man led police on a car chase Thursday afternoon before leaving his vehicle on Route 17 near East Dixfield and escaping on foot.

Police are looking for Edward Barbioni Jr., 28, of Bridge Street. He is wanted on charges of failing to stop for a police officer, a felony charge of eluding, speeding and passing a police roadblock and operating after license suspension.

Some drug paraphernalia and a traceable amount of cocaine were also found in the 1995 Mercury owned by Barbioni, police said.

The chase began after Jay police officer Russell Adams attempted to stop the vehicle for speeding on the Intervale Road in Jay. The driver traveled south on Route 140 headed toward Canton but pulled a U-turn and headed back into Jay without stopping for the officer who was following with his lights and siren going.

Adams pursued the vehicle onto Davenport Hill Road to Morse Hill Road and then onto Dixfield’s Valley Road. 

At that point, Jay police Chief Larry White set up a roadblock on the Valley Road. The suspect failed to stop for the roadblock and continued on to Route 17 toward East Dixfield, according to a police release.

White was able to identify the driver as Barbioni. The vehicle stopped at a house on the East Dixfield Road and the driver left the vehicle, heading on foot behind the house, police said.

A short foot pursuit began but the track was lost, and no tracking dog was available.

Two passengers in the vehicle during the pursuit told police that Barbioni was driving the car.

Speeds never got over 55 miles per hour and traffic was very light on the rural roads, police said.

Jay police were assisted by state police, Wilton and Dixfield Police Departments and Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.

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