WHATELY — A Chicopee man was arrested Tuesday night after allegedly fleeing Massachusetts State Police on Interstate 91, crashing his vehicle at Exit 32 and hiding in a nearby barn.
Following the crash, Frankie Santiago, 42, allegedly hid in a nearby barn under a blanket before being found by a Whately police officer using the Fire Department’s thermal imager and a State Police trooper using a drone. Upon being detected, State Police arrested Santiago without incident, according to the Whately Police Department’s Facebook page.
Santiago is being charged with speeding, a marked lanes violation, negligent operation, failure to stop for police, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license (subsequent offense) and trespassing, according to State Police Lt. Paul Sullivan.
Sullivan said the pursuit on I-91 southbound began when police tried to stop Santiago for allegedly speeding. Upon pursuit, police deployed tire-deflation devices, which Santiago struck. Sullivan said police found Santiago’s vehicle crashed at the top of the ramp at Exit 32, which is near La Salle Florists in Whately.
Santiago began “driving erratically and negligently” after striking the tire deflation device, Sullivan wrote in an email, noting that police then “self-terminated” their pursuit. Sullivan said police presumed that a flat tire would result from striking the device and checked Exits 35 and 32.
Following the crash, police deployed a drone to locate Santiago, who they then found a nearby barn.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.