A 16-year-old male from New Ipswich was arrested on Sunday after allegedly fleeing from Jaffrey police multiple times to evade traffic stops for speeding.

In a press release Monday, Jaffrey Police Chief Todd Muilenberg stated the teen is believed to be a habitual offender, as the department has recently received complaints regarding a white Ford pickup truck speeding and driving recklessly in the area. The police were provided some identifying features of the vehicle, and had been on the lookout for it.

Police at one point spotted the truck, which allegedly fled when they attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Police did not pursue the truck, based on the danger pursuits can create for other motorists and pedestrians, but an investigation was conducted to identify the truck and driver, using video surveillance footage from the police cruiser cameras and local businesses. According to police, both the truck and the driver were able to be identified.

After identifying the driver, Jaffrey police were in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant when the truck was sighted again on Friday and allegedly observed to be speeding. Again, police said the driver fled.

The driver allegedly fled from police for a third time on Sunday night. Following the third interaction, the driver was arrested at his home. He was transported to the Jaffrey Police Station for booking, before being released to a parent.

“As chief of police, I typically do not advertise arrests we make unless it is connected to very serious crimes. I’m making an exception in this case as I believe our citizens need to know that we take any behavior that may jeopardize the safety of citizens seriously and we will do our best to hold people accountable for irresponsible actions,” Muilenberg stated.

According to Muilenberg, the driver had significantly compounded the issue by not submitting to the traffic stops.

“For others who may consider fleeing from police officers attempting to make a traffic stop, know this. We may not jeopardize the public by chasing you for a simple traffic violation but we will do everything we can to find you and hold you accountable,” Muilenberg stated. “What may have been a simple warning for speed is now a significant criminal matter. This young man is now facing multiple criminal charges related to speeding, reckless driving and disobeying a police officer. At a minimum, he will most certainly lose his privilege to drive for a very long time.”

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.

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