NORWAY — A local woman remained in jail Monday on charges of drunken driving and leading police on a high-speed chase through Oxford Hills on Friday night.

Kristen M. Mcleod, 19, appeared in 11th District Court in Paris on Monday afternoon to face charges of eluding an officer, criminal operating under the influence and aggravated criminal mischief. Her bail was set at $500 cash or pretrial contract.

According to an affidavit by Norway police Sgt. Jim Ventresca, at about 11:45 p.m. Friday, Norway police officer Jon Scangas reported a woman driving a blue Dodge sedan failed to stop and was headed north on Oxford Street toward South Paris.

Ventresca said he passed a car matching Scanga’s description while driving south on Oxford Street. When he turned around and put on his emergency lights, the car continued north on Oxford Street before turning left on East Main Street in South Paris and continuing onto Main Street, passing through Market Square.

Ventresca and officers from Paris Police Department continued pursuing the vehicle down Main Street and onto Fair Street in Norway at speeds of 70 mph in a 25 mph zone. The vehicle accelerated up to 80 mph when it crossed into Oxford, before turning around in the parking lot of a business near the Oxford Walmart and heading north on Main Street, returning to Norway, Ventresca reported.

Passing through South Paris again, the vehicle headed north on Route 26 and accelerated to 90 mph, he reported.

In an effort to stop the chase, Oxford County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chris Davis set up tire spike mats near the intersection with Paris Hill Road. According to Ventresca, the spikes punctured the vehicle’s front tires and it began to lose speed  around Snow Falls in West Paris. The car’s front wheels started sparking and the front driver’s side tire came off as it continued up Route 26, Ventresca said. 

The car finally stopped when Oxford County Deputy Timothy Ontengco, traveling southbound on Route 26, pulled his cruiser into the northbound lane and the car struck his bumper near Curtis Hill Road in Woodstock, about six miles from where it hit the spikes, Ventresca reported.

The driver, who was later identified as Mcleod, was removed from the car and transported to Oxford County Jail in Paris, Ventresca said.

Ventresca reported that Mcleod told him at the jail that she had been drinking vodka in the vehicle throughout the night and stopped taking a sobriety test because she was too drunk. A breathalyzer test showed Mcleod had a blood alcohol content of .08, he said.

pmcguire@sunjournal.com

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