Old Town man faces charges after fleeing police, crashing in Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Maine (WABI) - An Old Town man faces multiple charges after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase Thursday night, crashing his vehicle in Pittsfield, and attempting to hide under a porch.

According to Maine State Police, a trooper spotted a vehicle swerving into the breakdown lane and driving at erratic speeds along Route 11 in Palmyra around 8:55 p.m. Police say that when the trooper moved in behind the car, the driver accelerated, passed another motorist, and refused to pull over after emergency lights and sirens were activated, at times turning his headlights off and on during the pursuit.

Police briefly lost sight of the car before finding it crashed at the intersection of North Main Street and Madawaska Avenue in Pittsfield. A State Police K9 team tracked the driver, who had fled on foot, to a nearby porch where he was found hiding.

The suspect, identified as Charles Michaud, 57, of Old Town, was taken into custody and transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators located open containers of alcohol inside the vehicle and determined Michaud was driving with a revoked Maine license. Police said Michaud will be charged with eluding an officer, operating after revocation, and driving to endanger upon his release from the hospital. The crash remains under investigation.