Old Town man faces charges in destructive chase

An Old Town man led Brewer police on a lengthy car chase early Saturday morning before he crashed into a light pole, several parked cars and a crosswalk post and then ended up in a local hospital.

Multiple charges are pending against the 48-year-old man, who remained at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor Sunday night, Brewer police Sgt. Jason Moffitt said. He did not release the man’s name and had no information on the extent of the suspect’s injuries.

Shortly before 1 a.m., Brewer police Officer Nelson Feero saw a car traveling across the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge from Bangor. The car veered to the side of the bridge and knocked over a light pole before continuing onto South Main Street in Brewer.

Feero followed the car and turned on his lights and siren, which prompted the man to speed up, Moffitt said. The driver turned into an apartment complex on South Main Street, where he struck another vehicle and a Dumpster.

Feero exited his cruiser and ordered the man to get out of his car. Instead, the suspect backed into the cruiser and left the parking area, Moffitt said. The man ended up back on the main road, where he finally struck a crosswalk post and rolled his vehicle, ending the pursuit.

Rescue crews arrived and took the man to EMMC. He will be charged with eluding an officer, driving to endanger and operating under the influence.

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A Veazie police officer, who stopped a motorist early Friday morning for a misplaced license plate, found cocaine and marijuana inside the vehicle.

The driver, Christopher Goehringer, 22, of Monroe, had just purchased the car a day earlier even though his license was suspended, Veazie police Officer Jeff Gotreau said Friday. The rear license plate was in the back window and not in the required spot, and Gotreau stopped the car about 1:40 a.m. on State Street, just over the town line in Bangor.

Gotreau arrested the Monroe man on a charge of operating a motor vehicle after suspension. Then the officer searched Goehringer’s car. Gotreau said he found four needles and a small bag containing cocaine in the center console and marijuana and a pipe in the ashtray.

Goehringer was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a usable amount of marijuana.

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Three male juveniles were charged last Wednesday with criminal trespassing after Brewer police surrounded an empty building and caught the teens as they came out.

Another juvenile who fled from police likely will be charged as well, Sgt. Jason Moffitt said Sunday.

Moffitt and two other officers responded to a call at about 9:45 p.m. from an employee of the Muddy Rudder restaurant. The worker told police that he observed someone crawl into the building next door at 75 South Main St., a former box factory.

When the officers arrived, they used the sound system from a cruiser to persuade the teens to exit the building, Moffitt said. Two of the juveniles came out the front of the building and were taken into custody. Two others exited through the rear of the building and fled on foot. Moffitt tracked one of the teens, but the other was still at large Sunday, he said, but added, “We know who he is.”

Nothing was taken from the building, but there was some minor damage inside, Moffitt said. The juveniles, who are about 16, had no prior criminal records, and the sergeant said the incident probably was nothing more than a prank.

– Compiled by BDN reporters Eric Russell and Doug Kesseli