The suspect faces charges from Easthampton and Northampton police.
03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen â The Northampton Police Department's patch.NORTHAMPTON - A 29-year-old Waltham man, suspected of leading police on a vehicle chase one night last week that started in Holyoke, swung through Easthampton and ended in Northampton, turned himself into police here Tuesday.
The chase, which started shortly before midnight on June 27, ended on Gothic Street when the driver jumped from his moving pickup truck and fled on foot.
Police said the incident began when Holyoke Police spotted a suspicious pickup on Route 141 and gave chase.
The driver fled into Easthampton for a time, returned to Holyoke, again by Route 141 and then got onto Route 5, heading towards Northampton.
Capt. Scott A. Savino said that Northampton police, notified of the pickup fleeing towards their city, with their counterparts from Holyoke and Easthampton in pursuit, cleared the intersection at Main and Pleasant.
The pickup continued straight on King Street, took a left onto Trumbull Road and another left onto Gothic Street where the driver ditched the pickup and was last seen heading towards King Street on foot. The driverless pickup continued down slowly down Gothic Street and collided with a Northampton cruiser, causing minor damage, Savino said.
William R. Murray, of 102 Marlborough Road, Waltham, the owner of the pickup, was arrested on two warrants pertaining to the chase issued out of District Court, Savino said.
Murray was charged by Easthampton police with assault by means of a dangerous weapon (his pickup), failure to stop for police, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, five counts of failure to stop for a stop sign, speeding and marked lanes violation, police documents state.
Savino said Northampton police charged Murray with possession of cocaine (which they found in the pickup), leaving the scene of a property damage accident, failure to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and speeding.
Murray turned himself into police inside the lobby of the police station on Center Street, Savino said.