PERRYVILLE, Md. — A Maryland State trooper crashed head-on with a suspect in one of two high priority pursuits on Wednesday morning in Cecil and Harford counties. Two teenage suspects have been detained, while another remains at large near Aberdeen.
The pursuit started in Pennsylvania and made its way onto Interstate 95 shortly after 5 a.m., Maryland State Police said. Troopers received a report from Pennsylvania State Police of a vehicle pursuit of two white vans that had been reported stolen in Baltimore City. The vans were traveling south on Route 1 towards Maryland.
Pennsylvania State Police said the suspects had stolen seven total dirt bikes from the West Brandywine Township store Cycle Max. The vehicles were valued at roughly $45,000, and all were later recovered. The same store had been targeted for a similar burglary in January, in which 11 dirt bikes were stolen.
As the pursuit entered Maryland, the two vans separated, Maryland State Police said, with one van heading south on Route 272 and the other heading south on Route 276. Troopers from the JFK Barrack joined the pursuit from southbound I-95 at the Tydings Memorial Bridge. The van that was on Route 272 continued south on I-95 to around the 82.8-mile marker in Aberdeen, where two suspects bailed from the van and headed into the woods.
A Maryland State Police helicopter has been circling the area for at least an hour, while other State Troopers headed in the wooded area at the end of this cup-de-sac, with a K-9 @WMAR2News pic.twitter.com/0NhvrXtpM6
— Mark Roper (@MarkRoperTV) May 29, 2019
Police established a perimeter around the area and utilized K-9 units and a State Police helicopter to search for the suspects. A heavy police presence, including officers in tactical gear and carrying long guns, could be seen in the area of Carsins Run Road and Creswell Road in Aberdeen. By 10 a.m., police reported both suspects had been apprehended. Police later said the suspects were a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old, both teen boys, from Baltimore. They were taken to the North East Barrack, where they were charged as juveniles with motor vehicle theft, resisting arrest, and related traffic offenses.
A half-dozen State Troopers And Harford County Police cars just sped past us and ended up in this nearby cul-de-sac, and headed into the wooded area with a K-9 @WMAR2News pic.twitter.com/41bIhvI6Xu
— Mark Roper (@MarkRoperTV) May 29, 2019
The other van heading south on Route 276 crashed with a marked State Police patrol vehicle in Perryville, at the junction of Route 222 and I-95. The trooper was not injured in the crash. The driver fled the scene of that accident. He remains at large. Troopers from the Bel Air and North East Barracks, as well as the Cecil County Sheriff's Office and the Harford County Sheriff's Office helped in the police pursuits and the continuing search for the missing suspect.
Maryland State Police Public Affairs Officer Ron Synder said the suspect is likely on foot. He did not say if police believe the suspect is armed or considered dangerous, but that residents should not pursue or interact with him and instead call police. Synder said the suspect may be trying to escape on foot, may be in a nearby area, or may be looking for a mode of transportation like another car to steal and flee the area.
"We’re still pursuing all leads. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or asked to call Maryland State Police," Synder said. "There's no reason to believe anyone is in any imminent danger."
