A Middletown Township man is accused of leading the Pennsylvania State Police on a chase in the area.
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Pennsylvania State Police were patrolling near West Highland and Station avenues in Langhorne Manor Borough around 2:25 a.m. on Nov. 30 when they observed smoke in the distance.
As they looked into the source of the smoke, troopers reported seeing a blue Dodge pickup truck performing doughnuts and burnouts, which caused damage to the roadway at the intersection of West Highland and Hulmeville avenues, state police said.
The truck stopped and faced the patrol vehicle before accelerating at a high rate of speed, passing the troopers on the right, court papers stated.
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State police said they switched on emergency lights and sirens, but the driver failed to stop.
During the pursuit, the truck allegedly ran three stop signs while traveling through a residential area on South Bellevue Avenue, state police said.
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The driver attempted a high-speed right turn onto Comly Avenue. The truck failed to make the turn and struck a utility pole head-on, which damaged the pole and its mounted light, state police said.
Troopers said they pulled alongside the driver’s side of the truck and saw the window was down.
According to court records, a trooper was approximately three feet away and had a clear view of the operator.
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Despite the crash, the driver reversed the vehicle and accelerated down Comly Avenue, state police said.
Troopers stated they terminated the pursuit shortly after due to safety concerns.
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According to state police, the same truck had been involved in a traffic stop in August. Troopers compared the driver’s license photo to the man seen behind the wheel and confirmed a match with Justin Langan, 24.
An arrest warrant for Langan was issued on Dec. 2. He was brought before District Judge Daniel Baranoski on Dec. 12 on charges of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, crash involving damage, disorderly conduct, and a number of traffic offenses. He was released on $25,000 unsecured 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.
