A North Brunswick man allegedly led police on a Veterans Day chase in a stolen sport utility on Route 1 into the Avenel section of Woodbridge, where the vehicle struck a pickup truck and snapped apart a utility pole.
During the pursuit, police said the 18-year-old reportedly ignored traffic signals, struck another vehicle near Parsonage Road and, at times, reached high speeds in an orange 2017 Nissan Rogue that was reported stolen in Gloucester County, according to information provided by the Edison Police Department.
The man is being held in the Middlesex County jail on charges of receiving stolen property, eluding police, and possession of controlled dangerous substances for 40 opioid pills that police say they found inside the stolen SUV, according to police.
The pursuit began at 9:40 a.m. on Nov. 11 when Sgt. Michael Cimmino began following the SUV he saw on Route 1 near Grandview Avenue. Police in Winslow Township had alerted Edison about the missing vehicle, using its navigation unit to track its location, according to reports.
Police said the SUV’s driver apparently noticed the sergeant’s marked cruiser, began to maneuver away and then sped north on Route 1 when another Edison cruiser joined the pursuit, according to reports.
The brief chase ended when the SUV’s driver tried to squeeze between a stopped pickup truck and a utility pole at Route 1 near Smith Street, striking both and snapping the pole, according to police.
Officers had to extricate the suspect from the damaged SUV before arresting him. The man reportedly refused medical attention for minor injuries that police said he sustained in the accident, according to reports.