Burlington Police Investigating after Pursuit of OUI Suspect Leads to Crash, Driver Refused to Stop for Police

BURLINGTON — The Burlington Police Department is investigating after a motorist refused to pull over during a traffic stop and led officers on a pursuit that resulted in a single vehicle crash.  Immediate Release-pursuit 7-16-18

At 2:05 a.m., a Burlington police officer observed a Nissan sport utility vehicle being operated erratically on Middlesex Turnpike with multiple taillights out. The driver was operating at a very low rate of speed and suddenly speeding up and swerving on the roadway. The officer suspected that the driver may be intoxicated. The driver got on the I-95 northbound ramp and proceeded to the highway, and the officer attempted to a make a traffic stop.

The driver refused to stop and drove away at a high rate of speed northbound on I-95, exiting at Exit 34/Winn Street. The driver then made a sudden U-turn and drove back up the wrong way toward a police cruiser, nearly striking the cruiser. The driver continued the wrong way up the ramp and began to drive the wrong way on I-95 before the vehicle jumped an on-ramp median and proceeding back north on I-95 northbound.

The driver attempted to exit the highway again at Exit 35/Rt. 38 but lost control of the vehicle and rolled it over, crashing at the bottom of the highway ramp near the Rt. 38 rotary.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle. He was taken to Lahey Hospital and Medial Center with serious injuries. He has been identified as a 24-year-old male from Uganda, however multiple forms of conflicting identification were found at the scene and in the vehicle, so police have not positively identified the driver at this time.

Several miniature bottles of alcohol were found ejected from the vehicle at the crash site, and alcohol is believed to have been a significant factor.

The pursuit reached speeds of approximately 90 mph and lasted for about two minutes. The pursuit was monitored by a Burlington Police Department lieutenant.

This incident is under investigation by the Burlington Police Department.

###