NORTHAMPTON — An Illinois man who allegedly stole a van from a Northampton construction company faces multiple charges after he led police on a chase on wheels and on foot near downtown on Saturday, police said.
Austin Drew Ashenfelter, 21, of Chicago, was charged with motor vehicle theft, speeding, leaving the scene of property damage, failure to stop for a police officer and five other violations after officers pursued him through the post office parking lot and a busy intersection before finally capturing him on Cherry Street, police said.
The owner of a Northampton construction company, which was not identified, was on his way at about 4:45 p.m. to the police station to report a white van from the firm had been stolen when he saw the van on the Coolidge Bridge, just ahead of him, heading west, according to Detective Michael Briggs.
An officer in a cruiser went to the scene and saw the van heading west on Bridge Street (Route 9) and attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver sped off, Briggs said.
Police pursued the van, though not at high speed due to the amount of traffic, Briggs added. The driver, Ashenfelter, turned left into the post office parking lot near the intersection of Bridge, Hawley and Market streets; he then hit the rear end of a car in the lot before exiting onto Hawley Street.
Another officer pursued Ashenfelter as he ran a red light at the intersection of Hawley and Bridge streets and headed north on Market Street before turning right onto Cherry Street, where he pulled into a driveway of a house. Briggs said the pursuing officer ordered Ashenfelter out of the van.
According to Briggs, Ashenfelter then attempted to run off through the home’s backyard. But the yard was fenced in and the officer was able to catch and subdue Ashenfelter, who became combative and was charged with resisting arrest along with his other charges, Briggs said.