West Oak teen accused of fleeing borough police on ATV
SHENANDOAH – A 19-year-old Shenandoah teen is facing charges after borough police say he fled at a high rate of speed on an ATV.
Christian Sanchez, 19, of 309 West Oak Street, is facing felony eluding a police officer, and summary careless driving, operation on streets and highways, and reckless driving charges for the incident this past Friday.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Ptlm. Mindy Petrus, police received a report of a reckless driver on an ATV on South White Street Friday evening.
She started heading in that direction in a marked patrol car and spotted a yellow ATV at Main and Centre Street, driven by a man later identified as Sanchez.
The officer attempted to stop Sanchez, who she says then made an abrupt left turn onto South Main, fleeing at a high rate of speed southbound and nearly striking a car head-on.
Sanchez made a turn onto West Cherry Street, then onto West, to Chester, and across Poplar before Petrus lost sight of him in the woods.
Security camera footage at the Rescue Hook and Ladder Fire Co. caught Sanchez on camera riding the ATV through downtown, and Petrus found said ATV at 215 West Arlington Street, its engine hot to the touch.
The ATV, Petrus wrote, is owned by Bruce Greggs, who told police he allows Sanchez to use the ATV.
Petrus found Sanchez at 116 West Coal Street, who was wearing the same clothing as in the security camera footage, and, as he was escorted into a patrol car, he said he fled “because he thought the police were going to shoot him.”
Sanchez was arraigned Friday evening and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.
He will appear before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker on Oct. 12.