Man Steals State Police Vehicle, Leads Troopers On 10-Mile Chase
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UNIONTOWN (KDKA) -- A man is accused of stealing a state police car Thursday afternoon and leading troopers on a ten mile chase through Fayette County, which ended with a crash.
Sources say state police were talking to a man at a housing complex in Uniontown when he somehow managed to get into a state police cruiser and take off with it around 1:30 p.m.
Police say the suspect crashed the cruiser on Chalk Hill-Ohiopyle Road in Wharton Township.
"The state vehicle that had the troopers in it was involved in a crash, and the stolen state vehicle continued on," Trooper Melinda Bondarenka with Pennsylvania State Police said. "It was traveling east on State Route 40 in the westbound lanes against traffic, where another state vehicle caught up to it, executed a [Pursuit Intervention Technique] maneuver, which was done successfully, and the actor was arrested there at the scene."
According to the Herald-Standard, witnesses saw the police cruiser without emergency lights activated flying down the road, followed by two other state police vehicles that did have emergency lights activated. One witness said the driver was only wearing boxer shorts.
Three troopers and a civilian were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. They have since been released.
The suspect has been identified as 36-year-old Michael J. Fabian, of Uniontown. He is facing multiple charges, including theft, fleeing and eluding, and driving while under the influence.