KENT CO., DE - A Pennsylvania man was arrested in Kent County on Friday after a car pursuit that spanned multiple jurisdictions.
The Delaware State Police say that on February 14th at approximately 12:45pm, troopers were notified that the New Castle County Police Department was pursuing a BMW with a Pennsylvania registration traveling south over the Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge after the vehicle was observed traveling with a bare rim.
DSP troopers joined the chase as the vehicle continued to travel south on State Route 1, and entered the Middletown and Townsend area. The driver failed to stop the vehicle despite multiple commands from law enforcement.
State police say as the pursuit proceeded, parts from the vehicle began to fly off the BMW. According to DSP, a metal object from the vehicle hit the hood of a marked DSP vehicle, causing tearing in the middle of the car's hood. Shortly after, the BMW's "metal brake caliper" came off the car and hit the windshield of another DSP vehicle, narrowly missing the trooper inside.
While the suspect approached Dover, they increased their speed significantly. A state trooper deployed stop sticks on SR1 near Frederica. The suspect's car hit the stop sticks but swerved toward the trooper standing on the right shoulder of the road. The trooper avoided being hit by running toward a concrete barrier.
DSP say the car then approached near Bowers Beach Road, where another trooper attempted to deploy sticks. Once again, the BMW swerved toward the trooper, forcing him to run toward a concrete barrier to avoid being hit.
The suspect then attempted to merge onto Exit 86 toward Frederica. At this time, they ran off the roadway, and collided with a traffic sign before crashing into a utility pole in front of Frederica Pizza.
The driver, identified as 22-year-old Thomas Casey of West Chester, Pennsylvania, got out of his car and attempted to run away on Market Street. Troopers say they apprehended Casey, who resisted arrest, and "minor injuries to troopers and damage to their uniforms."
Troopers took Casey to Troop 3, where a legal blood draw was conducted. He was charged with the following and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $50,877 cash bond.
-Assault 2nd Degree Injure L/E Officer- 2 counts (Felony)
-Reckless Endanger 1st Degree- 4 counts (Felony)
-Resisting Arrest with Force (Felony)
-Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal (Felony)
-Criminal Mischief Over $1000
-Driving Under the Influence of a Drug
-Additional Traffic-Related Offenses
