By Kathleen Brady Shea
The Philadelphia Inquirer
COATESVILLE — A Coatesville man’s apparent wish to evade authorities might have materialized - at least for now.
A state police report issued yesterday said Edmund F. Carpenter, 30, allegedly led authorities on a two-mile chase, at speeds police said exceeded 130 m.p.h. for a time, from Coatesville to Thorndale.
Carpenter then crashed into a parked car in Caln Township and ran off, all of this while under the influence of a controlled substance, the report from the Embreeville barracks said of the Christmas morning incident.
Carpenter was apprehended a short time later and taken into custody, continuing to resist arrest, according to the report. It said charges were filed against him in Thorndale District Court.
But no record of those charges could be found yesterday, according to District Court personnel. Officials at the Chester County prison said they had not seen Carpenter since 2007. According to court records, he served several days in the county prison in March of that year, followed by three years’ probation, for driving under the influence of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
State police said yesterday that no other information on the case, including Carpenter’s whereabouts, would be available until Monday.
Coatesville police said they had no record of the incident because it was handled by state troopers. Caln Township police said they had no paperwork because they only assisted the state police.
Carpenter did not return a telephone call seeking comment yesterday.
Yesterday’s report gave this account:
At 12:14 a.m. Dec. 25, Carpenter failed to stop at a red light or use a signal when he turned from South Eighth Avenue onto Lincoln Highway, which has a speed limit of 25 to 35 m.p.h.
Carpenter headed east, before slowing and turning north onto Municipal Drive in Caln Township. As he approached the intersection with Humpton Road, Carpenter went up a driveway, hitting a parked vehicle and pushing it into the garage of the residence.
Carpenter fled on foot before being caught. He repeatedly resisted arrest on the way back to the patrol vehicle, the report said.
What it does not say is where he is now.
Contact staff writer Kathleen Brady Shea at 610-696-3815 or kbrady@phillynews.com.
Copyright 2009 Philadelphia Newspapers, LLC