MACHIAS, Maine — An attempted routine traffic stop turned into a high-speed chase that ended with the driver being arrested Saturday, according to police.
Machias Police Sgt. Tim Mace said that when he first saw a vehicle with illegally tinted windows on Water Street he planned to pull the driver over and tell him to fix his windows. However, when the sergeant signaled for the vehicle to pull over, it sped away, Mace said Monday.
The driver, Nicholas Bilger, who is about 20, of Machias took off on Route 1 before turning onto Route 92, according to the sergeant. In attempting to make the sharp right turn, however, the suspect vehicle’s tires got caught in the soft shoulder off the roadway and ended up mired in the mud, Mace said.
Bilger suffered no apparent injuries.
Mace estimated the suspect’s speed to be around 70 or 80 miles per hour.
“I didn’t see the speedometer because I was watching the road,” Mace said.
Bilger had an open warrant for failing to appear in Machias District Court, Mace said. He also was driving with a suspended license and the vehicle was uninspected, uninsured and unregistered.
Bilger was arrested and charged with eluding police, attaching faulty plates and several civil charges relating to the fact that the vehicle wasn’t registered, insured or inspected. He has since been released on bail.