AUBURN — State police said a Rumford woman was arrested early Sunday following a short chase along Route 4 from Turner to Auburn.

Elsa Konopka, 23, was charged with possession of crack cocaine, failing to stop for an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia and operating without a license.

According to a written statement from state police, the chase ended near the Auburn Mall when a cruiser, driven by Trooper Ricci Cote, “made contact with the woman’s car and she spun out.”

There was little damage to the cars.

According to police, Cote attempted to stop Konopka in Turner for going only 29 mph in a 55 mph zone. She sped off, with the speed reaching 80 mph at one point.

As the cars headed toward Auburn, the woman threw a loaded .22-caliber handgun out the window, which was later recovered.

After she was stopped, police found a small amount of crack cocaine and a crack pipe in the car.

Auburn police assisted as the chase ended and transported Konopka to the Androscoggin County Jail.

This is not Konopka’s first brush with police.

In November, Konopka failed to bring her two young children to a scheduled visit with Department of Health and Human Services workers. The children had been living with her on a trial basis since June.

When the children missed the visit, DHHS reported them missing and Rumford police started searching for all three.

The children were returned to state care days later after they were found with a former foster family in Lewiston.  That family was not aware the children had been reported missing, and as soon as they heard police were searching for the children they were returned.

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