A man who told police he was “having a bad day” was arrested after leading an officer on a wild chase along Interstate 295 from Freeport to Brunswick during rush hour Tuesday evening, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Capt. Scott Stewart of the sheriff’s office spotted the driver – later identified as Daniel Harris, 29, of Brunswick – “operating erratically” in the northbound lanes of I-295 around 5:20 p.m. and “nearly causing several accidents,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Daniel Harris Photo courtesy of Cumberland County Sheriff's Office

“The operator was hanging out of the driver’s window ‘giving the finger’ to all traffic,” the statement said.

When Stewart tried to stop the vehicle, the driver continued to make obscene gestures with his middle finger “while sitting on the door frame.”

“The operator was so far out of the vehicle, at one point, it appeared that he was going to jump from the moving vehicle,” the statement said.

One driver who witnessed the scary scene said Harris had his entire torso sticking out of the vehicle while giving the officer the middle finger.

Chief Deputy Naldo Gagnon said Harris did not try to elude Stewart, but “merely continued to drive while causing quite the scene for evening commuter traffic, as the deputy followed with lights and siren on.”

Gagnon said Harris was driving the speed limit, which is 65 mph on that stretch of highway. The chase lasted for about 5 miles until Harris finally stopped on the Pleasant Street off-ramp of I-295 in Brunswick. No one was injured.

“He told the deputy that he was having a bad day and apologized,” Gagnon said.

Harris was charged with driving to endanger and failure to stop for a police officer. He was taken to the Brunswick police station, where he later posted bail.

He also was issued a citation for not wearing a seat belt.