York Town News
Motorcyclist leads police in high speed chase
By Melissa Wood
YORK - An early morning, high-speed pursuit on Saturday, July 14, which began in York Beach, came to an end on Logging Road when the suspect tried to turn around but made contact with a police cruiser and dumped his motorcycle on the ground.
At that point, police say Chadwick V. Preedom, 33, fought with officers before he was arrested and brought to the York Police Department.
Preedom was charged with eluding an officer, passing a roadblock, criminal operating under the influence, speeding 20 to 24 miles per hour over the limit, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, criminal speed over 30 miles per hour, and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs.
The chase began shortly after 1 a.m. when police attempted to pull Preedom over for speeding on Long Beach Avenue. Preedom instead sped up, traveling as fast as 70 miles per hour down Ridge Road, then through York Village to York Corner, up Route 1 and then onto Logging Road.
Police attempted to create a roadblock to stop Preedom, but he kept on going, narrowly missing the officer who had set up the roadblock, according to York Sgt. Martin Doherty.
Doherty said that Preedom slowed down his motorcycle to about 20 miles per hour at the roadblock, but instead of stopping, he again sped up and cut a sharp turn, going around the police cruiser that was partially blocking the road.
Doherty said many factors are weighed by police when determining whether to pursue a high-speed chase, including time of day, and the ultimate decision is made by the officer in charge.
"It all falls back to the supervisor whether to pull the plug or continue," Doherty said.
