Three-town police car chase ends in creek

Driver faces nine charges, including DWI and reckless driving, after a chase through Somerville, Bridgewater and Manville.

By: Donna Lukiw
   A Plainfield resident led Manville and Somerville police on a chase through three towns before crashing into the Royce Brook near Pope Street and Roosevelt Avenue at 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
   Robert L. Brown, 38, faces nine charges after the chase through Somerville, Bridgewater and Manville, including a DWI and a charge for reckless driving.
   Manville police said Somerville officers attempted to pull over Mr. Brown in Somerville for his erratic driving.
   Police said Mr. Brown led the police down West Camplain Road and South Main Street before he drove into the shallow brook.
   William Street resident Terese Machos, a witness to the chase, said Mr. Brown started down Main Street, turned onto William Street and made a left onto Gladys Avenue while blowing a front tire off the rim and leaving several marks in the road.
   During the chase, a Gladys Avenue resident reported Mr. Brown’s blue Cadillac hitting his parked Nissan Sentra at 11:30 p.m. and leaving the area.
   As a result, the Sentra started leaking gasoline and the Fire Department and rescue squad were dispatched to the scene.
   "It came past my house and I saw flashing red lights," Ms. Machos said. "When it hit the parked car no one was in it. It’s totaled now."
   Ms. Machos said the parked vehicle contained a child’s car seat.
   "The police informed the owner that the car seat can no longer be used regardless of its condition because it was in an accident," Ms. Machos said.
   Ms. Machos said at the intersection of Sixth Avenue, Pope Street and Roosevelt Avenue, the vehicle hit the curb at such a high speed it jumped into the air, grazing a tree and then landing in Royce Brook.
   "The mark on the tree indicated that the vehicle went airborne — it was 77 inches from the ground," Ms. Machos said. "Tire tracks were only made when the vehicle was recovered."
   After his car stopped, Mr. Brown jumped out and tried to run away. He was found in a culvert and taken into custody.
   Ms. Machos said another witness told her when police pulled Mr. Brown out of the drain pipe he was limping.
   He was transported to Somerset Medical Center for minor injuries and turned over to the Somerville Police Department.
   His vehicle was towed out of the brook.
   Mr. Brown was also charged with driving an uninsured vehicle, driving while suspended, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, being an unlicensed driver, driving an unregistered vehicle and having fictitious license plates.