Presque Isle Man Leads Police on a 58-Mile Chase at 100+ MPH

A Presque Isle man faces multiple charges, including kidnapping, after leading police on a high-speed chase that traveled from Medway to Lincoln.

Why Did Police Originally Pull the Vehicle Over?

Brandin Bouchard, 34, tried to flee from police in his vehicle and, eventually, on foot, before being taken into custody after a wild pursuit. The incident began shortly after 4:00 Wednesday morning when East Millinocket Police Sergeant Kennedy noticed a motor vehicle with multiple defects. He pulled the vehicle over on I-95 in Medway, shortly after it had left the Circle K convenience store. As Kennedy was speaking with the people in the vehicle, the driver suddenly sped off. Kennedy pursued the vehicle as it began driving erratically, traveling at speeds ranging from 60 to more than 100 miles per hour.

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During the pursuit, Sergeant Kennedy noticed that the passengers in the vehicle were waving their arms out of the windows. About 10 miles into the pursuit, two of the passengers jumped from the vehicle as it slowed down. Sergeant Kennedy stopped to speak with the people, who told him that they had been held against their will in the vehicle. He continued the pursuit while the duo was picked up by another officer.

The vehicle eventually left I-95 and began traveling on Route 158 in Sherman, still operating at high speeds and being driven erratically. Sergeant Kennedy learned that the occupants of the fleeing vehicle called 911 and told the dispatcher that they were also unwilling hostages. The dispatcher said the operator of the vehicle could be heard saying that he would let them out of the vehicle if the police backed off. Sergeant Kennedy complied, but the passengers were not released.

How Did Police Finally Get the Vehicle to Stop?

The pursuit continued through several towns, including Silver Ridge, Macwahoc Plantation, Molunkus, Mattawamkeag, Winn, and on into Lincoln. Sergeant Kennedy reached out to the Lincoln Police, informing them that the vehicle was traveling at dangerous speeds, often on the wrong side of the road. He requested spike strips to stop the vehicle's progress but, when they were set up, the driver went into the opposite lane and avoided them. When that failed, officers attempted a felony stop but, again, the vehicle sped off until it drove through someone's yard and crashed into a ditch near railroad tracks behind the house. The operator fled on foot and was chased by police, who took him into custody.

At first, the male driver refused to tell the police who he was, but they were able to identify him as Bouchard. Police searched Bouchard and his vehicle and found suspected methamphetamine, crack cocaine, Suboxone, illegal prescription pills, and drug paraphernalia. In addition, they learned that Bouchard was out on bail and his license had been revoked. The other people in the vehicle were also interviewed.