FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Fort Fairfield police arrested a Houlton man Friday who had eluded officers for a second time.
At approximately 10:30 p.m., a Fort Fairfield officer stopped a dark-colored Jeep Liberty on North Caribou Road after its driver supposedly sped to 80 miles per hour in a 50-mile-per-hour zone.
The driver, Kyle Williams, 34, of Houlton, allegedly did not stop. The officer briefly chased Williams until stopping due to the unsafe speeds and Williams’ “erratic” driving.
Fort Fairfield police later spotted Williams on Grimes Road in Caribou. After trying to elude officers again, Williams struck a tree next to a parked police cruiser and was arrested.
Williams also eluded Caribou police officers last month when he led them on a chase through the city’s downtown and into New Sweden. It is common practice for police to end a chase after identifying the driver, so long as there is no immediate danger to the public or felony charges involved, said Caribou Police Sgt. Keith Ouellette.
Williams is now being charged with eluding an officer, operating a motor vehicle after habitual offender license revocation, driving to endanger, operating while under the influence of drugs, attaching false license plates to his vehicle and violating conditions of release.
Williams’ passenger, Scott Long, 23, of Presque Isle was also arrested on a previous warrant, said Fort Fairfield Police Chief Matthew Cummings. He did not say what that warrant was for.
Both Long and Williams are being held at Aroostook County Jail in Houlton. Williams will appear in Presque Isle District Court on Nov. 8.
