OCEAN CITY — A suspect is being held this morning after a high-speed chase in the midtown area resulted in an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) vehicle driven by a public safety aide being struck.
Shortly before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, a license plate reader (LPR) on eastbound Route 90 alerted to a wanted individual entering Ocean City. A traffic stop was initiated in the area of 94th Street and Coastal Highway. While the initial officer was waiting for additional units to respond, the vehicle and the as-yet-unidentified driver fled the scene and headed south on Coastal Highway.
The vehicle made a right turn onto 65th Street, presumably because the driver believed it was the access to Route 90 and a route out of Ocean City and collided with an OCPD vehicle driven by a public safety aide. The vehicle continued west on 65th Street before coming to a stop. The unidentified driver attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was quickly apprehended.
According to a Town of Ocean City public works employee, the driver entered the public works yard followed by numerous OCPD vehicles and ditched the vehicle in the solid waste collection area. The source said the suspect was apprehended behind the bus parking area. Ironically, the town’s Transportation Committee was meeting on Tuesday morning in the same general area where the chase ended.
The suspect is being held and charges are pending. The public safety aide was transported to Atlantic General Hospital for evaluation out of an abundance of caution, but had no obvious signs of injury, according to police reports. The OCPD vehicle was significantly damaged in the collision. More details will be provided as they become available.
