Credit: Falls Township police
A 20-year-old Falls Township man was arrested following a high-speed police pursuit that crossed state lines.
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At approximately 8:14 p.m., a Falls Township police officer using information from a license plate reader on Route 13 near Green Lane was alerted to a stolen vehicle heading northbound. The officer recalled the vehicle from a recent pursuit and alerted other officers, authorities said.
The officer positioned himself to intercept the blue Nissan 350Z in question as it passed through the intersection of Route 13 and Levittown Parkway, police said.
The pursuit began when the vehicle was confirmed to match the stolen license plate, police said.
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According to an officer, the Nissan accelerated at high speeds along Route 13 and the Nissan turned off its lights, weaving through traffic at dangerous speeds.
Police said the Nissan narrowly avoided collision with a tractor-trailer while merging onto Route 1 northbound. Officers discontinued the chase as the vehicle entered New Jersey, according to court papers.
At 8:41 p.m., the officer went to Nearwood Drive in the Falls Township’s Levittown section due to the suspected driver’s ties to a home on the street. The officer located the vehicle in a driveway, police said.
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As officers attempted to approach, the driver – identified as Anthony Deems, 20, of Falls Township – put the car in reverse. He nearly hit one officer and struck another’s arm with the vehicle’s door before fleeing the scene, police said.
Deems’ attempt to escape law enforcement led to Route 13 at Tyburn Road where police observed him heading northbound, police said.
The pursuit ended when Deems crashed into a guardrail at Route 13 and Lower Morrisville Road and attempted to flee on foot into nearby woods, police said.
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A physical altercation ensued as two officers apprehended Deems, who was resisting arrest, police said.
Deems, who is known to local authorities from previous encounters, was found to be driving without a license or insurance, police said.
Deems was charged with attempted aggravated assault, aggravated assault, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, evading arrest or detention on foot, driving at an unsafe speed, no headlights, and other offenses. He was preliminarily arraigned before on-call District Judge Joseph Falcone and held on 10 percent of $300,000 bail.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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