Police chase car stolen in Houlton Local man faces assault, OUI charges

HOULTON – A Houlton man was free on bail Sunday after being charged with multiple offenses in connection with the theft of a car early Saturday morning.

John Phillips, 19, allegedly stole a 1995 Oldsmobile Sierra from a residence on High Street and then briefly led police on a chase. At one point, he allegedly tried to crash into a police cruiser.

Bail was set at $8,000 single surety on charges of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, theft of a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants.

Additional unsecured bail of $1,500 was set on charges of driving to endanger, speeding, and leaving the scene of an accident.

Charges of theft by unauthorized taking, failure to stop for a police officer and eluding a police officer are pending, according to Houlton police.

According to Cpl. Terry Beaton of the Houlton Police Department, at 2:53 a.m. Saturday, police received a call from Jesse Stow of Oakfield that a car belonging to his grandmother had been stolen from the Brian Swales residence in Houlton. Stow reportedly had the car at the Swales residence at that time.

At 3:13 a.m., Officer Steve Wotton, who was on patrol near Aroostook Milling on Hillview Avenue, spotted the car headed north on Hillview. Wotton pursued the car, which crossed Military Street, jumped the curb into the parking lot of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church and then went onto Willard Street, where it struck a utility pole.

As Wotton was preparing to get out of his cruiser, Phillips allegedly turned the car around and drove straight at Wotton’s cruiser.

From there, he reportedly drove the car back into the church parking lot, over the curb, crossed Military Street again and proceeded to drive south on Hillview Avenue, headed toward Hodgdon.

At that point, Officer Matthew Quint, who had responded to back up Wotton, picked up the pursuit.

According to Beaton, speeds reached an estimated 60 miles an hour. Road conditions were slippery, and Quint was backing off his pursuit when Philips lost control of the car and hit a second utility pole, about a mile south on Hillview Avenue.

Phillips suffered only minor injuries. The Houlton ambulance took him to Houlton Regional Hospital for examination, before being taken to the Aroostook County Jail. The car was demolished, police said.