Alfred Drunk Driver Takes Police on Car Chase Down ATV Trail

A man in a vehicle with no license plates led police on a chase in Alfred, driving down an ATV trail, before being apprehended.

Maine State Police Trooper Patrick Hall was on patrol on September 19th, when he spotted a suspicious vehicle parked off of Gore Road, that had no registration plates. The trooper approached the vehicle, but before he could speak to the operator, the driver fled at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was pursued onto Fort Ridge Road, where speeds dropped off considerably before the suspect's vehicle started driving down an ATV trail.

Once on the trail, Trooper Hall's cruiser became disabled and it was believed that the suspect's vehicle was also disabled further up the trail. A search was launched, with help from other troopers, the Maine Warden Service, and the York County Sheriff's Office, including Corporal Adam Schmidt and his K9 Ibo. Once a positive track was established, 21-year-old Bailey Velandry of Alfred was located about a 1/2 mile from his vehicle. He was cooperative, once officials caught up to him.

Police say Velandry was found to be operating on a conditional license, due to a previous OUI offense. An Intoxilyzer test was administered and showed him to be more than twice over the legal limit. Velandry was taken to the Cumberland County Jail, where he was charged with eluding an officer, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.