MIDDLETON — A driver yesterday led state troopers, then North Reading police, on a chase from Interstate 93 in Wilmington through North Reading, striking a police cruiser along the way before crashing on Boston Street around 2 p.m.
No one was reported injured in the crash in South Middleton near Elm and River Streets, near the West Peabody line.
Michael Whitcomb, 39, whose address state police listed as Motel 6, 65 Newbury St., Danvers, was arrested by state police. He was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, a marked-lanes violation and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon — the car he was driving, which struck a North Reading cruiser, Trooper Thomas Murphy said.
The chase began when Trooper Jodi Gerardi saw the white 1988 Ford Mustang Whitcomb was driving speeding on Interstate 93 in Wilmington at 1:25 p.m., state police spokesman David Procopio said. Gerardi tried to pull over the vehicle, but Whitcomb got off the highway at the Concord Street exit and headed east toward North Reading, at which point Gerardi gave up the chase.
"We constantly assess whether to continue pursuit," Procopio said.
State police broadcast a description of the vehicle, and North Reading police picked up the pursuit on Route 62 into Middleton, where Whitcomb crashed and state police arrested him.
A male passenger in the car was brought in for questioning, Procopio said.
State police said Whitcomb's name may be familiar to some North Shore police departments.
On Nov. 12, Danvers police arrested Whitcomb, who then had a Beverly address, and a 30-year-old Lynnfield woman. They were charged with shoplifting at the Walmart in Danvers, according to a prior police report.
On Sept. 20, a caller reported a vehicle being broken into at the Homewood Suites Hotel on Peabody's Newbury Street at 2:24 a.m. When an officer arrived, a vehicle sped out of the lot despite the officer's attempt to stop it. The operator fled the vehicle and eluded a state police K-9 unit. Police sought a warrant for Whitcomb (then of Fitzwilliam, N.H.) for failing to stop for a police officer, illegally attaching plates, driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, operating after license revocation, malicious destruction of property under $250, possession of burglary tools, and attempting to commit a crime.
On Sept. 24, Whitcomb was arrested at the Candlelite Motor Inn in Middleton on an outstanding warrant from Peabody District Court.
Middleton police assisted with traffic during yesterday's incident, Chief James DiGianvittorio said.
Staff writer Ethan Forman can be reached at 978-338-2673 or by e-mail at eforman@salemnews.com.
