A high speed chase through the City of Trenton ends with the Defendant being taken to the Capital Health Regional Medical Center after crashing into a divider near Route 1.
Trenton NJ Man Charged with Eluding & Resisting Arrest
The Defendant, a twenty-three (23) year old male, initially drew the attention of the police when they observed him weaving around cars and blowing through red lights near the 200 block of Spring Street. However, do the density of the traffic, the police decided to put out a BOLO for the Defendant’s motorcycle as opposed initiate a high speed chase. Shortly thereafter, the police located the Defendant and attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop. The Defendant refused and sent the police on a wild high speed chase that did not come to an end until he lost control of his motorcycle near Route 1. According to the police, the chase reached speeds well in excess of 100 mph.
Following the accident, the Defendant was taken to the hospital for treatment. He was eventually released to the police so that he could be processed on second degree eluding, third degree resisting arrest and a slew of motor vehicle charges. It is unclear at this point in time why the Defendant decided to take the police on the chase. All charges, including the motor vehicle summons will be transferred to the Mercer County Superior Court for disposition. The Defendant face up to ten years in a State Prison on the second degree eluding charges alone. In addition, the Defendant also faces a mandatory six month to two year loss of driving privileges as well. For more information on eluding charges in Mercer County, please click the link.
2nd Degree Eluding vs. 3rd Degree Eluding Charges in NJ
Pursuant to NJSA 2C:29-2b, eluding can either be a second or third degree felony offense. The difference between the two, is whether or not during the commission of the offense, it is alleged that the Defendant:
- Created a risk of death or injury to any person.
- “Any Person” could include the Defendant themselves &
- “Injury” means physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical condition.
So as you can see, it does not take much for a third degree eluding charge to be elevated to a crime of the second degree. In the case above, the speed of chase and the Defendant’s injuries is why the Defendant was charged with second degree eluding. The difference between the potential sentences of the two degrees is night and day. A Defendant convicted of a crime of the third degree obtains a presumption against incarceration. Conversely, a Defendant convicted of a second degree obtains a presumption for incarceration.
Facing Eluding Charges in New Jersey
Eluding is a very serious offense in New Jersey and if it is not handled properly, it could have very crippling penalties. That is just one of the many reasons that if your a loved one has found themselves facing an eluding charge in Mercer County, in towns like Ewing, Lawrenceville, Hopewell, West Windsor, East Windsor, Robbinsville or Princeton, that you contact an attorney as soon as possible. To speak to one of the Mercer County criminal defense lawyers at Keith Oliver Criminal Law, please contact our Hamilton office at 609-789-0779. As always, our initial consultations are free of cost.
For more information on this incident, please checkout the Trentonian, by clicking the link.
