Union man arrested after police chase from Wiscasset to Nobleboro

Sun, 09/21/2014 - 7:30am

    A Wiscasset police cruiser and another vehicle were towed with flattened tires but no other damage on Route 1 in Nobleboro early Sept. 21, following a chase that started with an attempted traffic stop in Wiscasset, authorities said. The driver of the car that allegedly led the chase was arrested. No one was hurt.

    Anthony Baker, 23, of Union was being held on charges of eluding a police officer, driving to endanger, criminal speed, and unauthorized use of property, a 2010 Toyota Corolla that Baker allegedly stole from his sister Abigail Baker of Union, Wiscasset Police Chief Troy Cline states in a press release Sunday afternoon.

    Baker was also being held on a probation hold; under the conditions of probation he is on in connection with another case, he cannot possess dangerous weapons, according to the release.

    “Officers located an open folding knife on the seat beside Baker after taking him into custody. They also located a rifle in the trunk of the vehicle along with another knife,” Cline states.

    The two cars rolled over a spike strip as Wiscasset Police Officer Alfred “Willy” Simmons, in the cruiser, chased the car further north, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Nein said at the scene.

    Cline’s release states that Simmons reported the car he  tried to pull over at about 4 a.m. had been going about 20 mph over the speed limit on the Main Street stretch of Route 1. Neither Simmons nor the other driver was hurt in the morning’s events, which ended with both cars disabled and in need of towing. No one else was in either vehicle. The chase lasted about 10 minutes.

    Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Drake had laid the spike strip on Route 1 in Damariscotta, near Reunion Station and Center Street, just south of the Nobleboro line, Nein said.

    “The suspect vehicle struck the strip, as did the Wiscasset cruiser ... the suspect, as the tires deflated, lost control, went off the road and (the car) came to a rest. And Officer Simmons and Deputy Drake were able to quickly get him in to custody.”

    Baker was taken to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset for booking.

    In addition to Drake, Simmons also received help at the scene from Waldoboro Police Officer Thomas Bartunek, Nein said.

    “The chase was heading north toward Waldoboro when this occurred. (Bartunek) came to assist. It was a good team effort.”

    It’s a Wiscasset Police Department case because there was no accident with damage, so no accident report to file, Nein said.

    Few vehicles were going by the scene in the dark hours of Sunday morning. Neither car was blocking the roadway; traffic did not have to be stopped or rerouted.