Car chase begins in Ashland,
ends in Presque Isle
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
A Presque Isle man, who led law enforcement on a chase July 29 that began in Ashland and ended in Presque Isle, is facing multiple charges in connection with the incident.
“It started in town on Exchange Street near Main Street (Route 11) in Ashland. Officer Tyler Cote tried to stop the vehicle for speeding but the driver didn’t stop. Tyler called me for backup as he continued to follow the car — a red Grand Am,” said Chief Cyr Martin, of the Ashland Police Department.
Martin indicated though it was considered a police chase, speed wasn’t excessive.
“It wasn’t a high-speed chase; it probably topped out around 63 mph,” said the chief.
Police pursued the vehicle as it headed east on Route 227/State Road.
“We’d called for backup and a roadblock. Presque Isle police had set up near Chandler Farms but had to move when the driver changed directions, turning onto the Turner Road, coming out on the Dudley Road in Mapleton. He blew the stop sign and headed toward downtown Mapleton,” said Martin.
“At that point I was ready to call Tyler and tell him to let him go, but he slowed down to 35 mph through town, so Tyler stayed with him. A short time later Trooper Nick Cassavant (Maine State Police) and Deputy Matt Cummings (Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office) showed up in Mapleton and passed Tyler to see if they could get the driver to pull over,” Martin said.
Martin said by this point, PIPD officers had set up a roadblock on Route 163/Mapleton Road in the vicinity of the end of the Northern Maine Regional Airport’s runway.
“Officers continued to pursue the suspect’s vehicle to that area. But when the driver saw the roadblock, he increased his speed to about 85 mph and aimed his car at a utility pole, bouncing off and hitting a car that was stopped for the roadblock, totaling the lady’s car,” said Martin. The woman’s name was not released. Both drivers were alone in their vehicles and sustained only minor injuries in the crash.
“The 2004 red Pontiac Grand Am was also totaled. We believe the driver, Joshua Fraser, 18, of Presque Isle, was the driver in the incident last week involving the Bangor Daily News delivery driver,” said Martin. “The vehicle matches the one police have been looking for.”
“Fraser was placed under arrest and subsequently told us he was depressed and feeling suicidal. He was transported to The Aroostook Medical Center for evaluation, cleared and sent to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.”
Martin said Fraser was charged by Cote with eluding an officer, failure to stop and driving to endanger. State Police also charged him with passing a roadblock.
Fraser, a 2013 graduate of Presque Isle High School, has been given a Superior Court date of Oct. 28.
