JAY — A Wilton man faces charges after police say he led them on a chase Friday night that began in New Sharon and continued through several Franklin County towns before the engine in the man’s vehicle blew up and caught fire on Route 133 in Jay. He then fled on foot.
Allan Stebbins, 29, of Wilton was charged Saturday on charges of eluding an officer, criminal speed, driving to endanger, operating after suspension and attaching false plates, State Police Trooper Aaron Turcotte said. Stebbins is on probation for unrelated charges, he said.
Turcotte said the chase began when he tried to stop a white Acura driving erratically near the intersection of Route 2 and Cape Cod Hill School in New Sharon about 10:43 p.m.
The car failed to stop and drove at speeds reaching 97 mph down Cape Cod Hill Road toward Vienna, Turcotte said.
The pursuit lasted about 10 minutes until the car turned on to an all-terrain vehicle trail and Turcotte discontinued the pursuit. Turcotte had Franklin County deputies alerted and told them he expected the vehicle to exit on to Route 41 off Cohoon Street in Chesterville.
Deputies Nate Reid and Nick Zecher spotted the car on Dutch Gap Road in Chesterville and attempted to stop it.
The car continued down Ridge Road and into Fayette before getting on Route 17 and then to Livermore Falls and took a right on to Route 133. It continued on up Route 133 in Jay where the car’s engine blew up and caught fire, Turcotte said.
The driver got out and fled on foot into the woods, he said.
Jay officer Russell Adams put the car fire out with a fire extinguisher.
State Trooper Matt Casavant and his police dog, Marcello, and Reid began a track through the woods of the driver but didn’t locate him.
Evidence and information in the vehicle and from a witness led police to Stebbins. He is scheduled to appear Sept. 21 at Franklin County Superior Court in Farmington.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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