Police from Northfield and Erving used a stop strip to halt a driver from Northampton who failed to pull over on Route 63 Saturday afternoon, and discovered soon after that his erratic operation was the result of a medical emergency.
Northfield Police Chief Robert Leighton said the incident began shortly after 1 p.m. in Deerfield, where police received reports of a vehicle operating erratically.
A short time later, the car was seen in Bernardston heading toward Northfield on Route 10. It continued onto Route 63 south, where an on-duty Northfield officer was able to catch up with it near Northfield Mountain Recreation Area, Leighton said.
The officer attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver continued on into Erving at about 45 to 50 mph, when the stop strips were deployed. They punctured the front and rear passenger side tires, stopping the pursuit near Semb Drive, Leighton said.
Before the stop, the driver had struck another vehicle, causing minor damage, but no one was injured.
Leighton said it soon became apparent to police that the driver, a 64-year-old man from Northampton, was suffering from a diabetic emergency. He was taken to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield by ambulance.
Leighton said the man was not arrested, but he will be summoned to court to face charges of failing to stop for police and other motor vehicle infractions.