BANGOR, Maine — A North Anson man who suffered serious injuries Monday when he crashed his car in Cornville while leading police on a high-speed chase remained at a Bangor hospital Tuesday night in critical condition.
Robert L. Tucker, 45, was a suspect in a Troy burglary who fled from police Monday, triggering a high-speed pursuit involving personnel from several area law enforcement agencies, Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said on Monday.
Tucker was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor by LifeFlight helicopter after the crash.
Lancaster said Tuesday that Tucker has yet to be charged in connection with the alleged burglary, the chase and the subsequent crash.
“Eventually there will be numerous charges, ranging from serious traffic violations to felony criminal charges,” Lancaster said Tuesday. “Once we have completed our investigations, we will meet with the Somerset District Attorney’s Office and officially charge Mr. Tucker.”
Tucker, who is a convicted felon, has a history of fleeing from law enforcement when confronted, Lancaster said Monday.
An investigation into a burglary in Troy led Maine State Police Detectives Elisha Fowlie and Jarred Stedman to a residence in Dixmont late Monday morning. The detectives had identified Tucker as a suspect.
When confronted by the detectives around 11 a.m., Tucker, who had given them a false name, fled into the woods.
At about 1:30 p.m., Detective Lt. Carl Gottardi and Deputy Don Avery of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office were heading north on Route 201 to check a residence that Tucker has been known to frequent when Gottardi saw a silver Chevy Malibu being driven by a man matching Tucker’s description heading south in the Lakewood area of Madison, Lancaster said.
Avery, who was driving a marked police cruiser, turned to stop the Malibu and caught up with it just south of the intersection of Routes 148 and 201, the sheriff said. The driver of the Malibu pulled to the side of the road, but before Avery could get out of his cruiser, the driver sped off at a high rate of speed and a pursuit ensued, the sheriff said.
In addition to speeding, the Malibu at times traveled on the wrong side of Route 201, Lancaster said.
During the pursuit, Avery was involved in a crash with another vehicle near the Skowhegan town line.
The chase continued for 8 or 10 miles with Somerset County Deputy Detective Michael Ross and Deputy Cpl. Gene Cole in pursuit, Lancaster said, until Tucker lost control on a corner of Huff Hill Road in Cornville and crashed his vehicle.