Pa. Driver Blames Drugs for Police Pursuit

A Red Lion man is blaming his heroin use for leading police on a chase Wednesday night.

Michael James Hughes, 44, of 312 West Broadway told Cpl. Michael Georgiou of York Area Regional Police that he was under the influence of heroin, "which caused him to do everything that he did," according to Hughes' charging documents.

What Hughes allegedly did was burglarize a Hellam Township home and then lead police on a chase south on Route 24 from Springettsbury Township to Red Lion.

The owner of the home, in the 400 block of Fahringer Drive, told Hellam Township Police he saw Hughes walking through his yard about 5:11 p.m. As Hughes was driving away from the home in a 1999 Chevrolet Venture minivan, he attempted to run the homeowner over, documents state.

Spotted: A Springettsbury Township Police officer saw a van matching the description of the one used in the burglary and attempted to pull it over in the area of Mount Zion Road at Pleasant Valley Road.

Hughes ignored the officer's instructions and continued driving south on Route 24, documents state.

With officers in pursuit, Hughes drove erratically, running several red signal lights and, at times, driving in the opposing lane.

Officers said they could see Hughes talking on his cellphone and smoking a cigarette during the chase, documents state.

As Hughes was driving through the intersection of East Prospect Street and North Main Street in Red Lion, he hit Georgiou's patrol car, which was positioned to stop cross traffic, and came to a stop on a sidewalk.

Hughes was arrested after he was pulled from the passenger side of the van.

Hughes told Georgiou that he was scared and "wanted to knock the (police) car out of the way," documents state.

Charges: Officers said they found a bag of heroin and items stolen from the Hellam Township home inside the van. The homeowner positively identified Hughes as the man he saw walking through his yard, documents state.

Hughes remained in York County Prison Thursday night in lieu of $40,000 bail, a prison official said.

He is charged with burglary, theft by unlawful taking, criminal trespass, receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment, fleeing to elude police, DUI, aggravated assault and other charges, documents state.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service