YORK COUNTY — A New Hampshire man suspected of stalking an Old Orchard Breach woman led police on a chase through two counties Wednesday, from that seaside community to Standish before crashing his pickup truck into a utility pole.
Edward Lepore, 39, of Tamworth, New Hampshire, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon — the vehicle. He was also wanted on a total of four arrest warrants charging violation of protection from harassment order and domestic violence stalking.
The chase began after Old Orchard Beach Police received a call from a woman who said Lepore was on his way to her residence. Police attempted to stop the man, who was driving a gray Toyota pick-up truck — but he kept driving.
Buxton Police officers James Bradbury and Warren Day were dispatched to the area known as Scarborough Corner — the intersection of Broadturn, Long Plains and Portland roads, and deployed a Stinger spike mat in an attempt to stop Lepore.
Police said Bradbury was nearly struck by the suspect vehicle while attempting to deploy the spike mat. Bradbury also sustained a minor cut to his hand as a result of the subject’s efforts to elude capture.
The vehicle continued traveling north on Long Plains Road with the Old Orchard Beach police unit in pursuit.
The pursuit ended in Standish, in Cumberland County, when the suspect lost control of his vehicle and ran into a utility pole.
Lepore was arrested at the scene and taken to Mane Medical Center in Portland for medical evaluation, according to police. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to police.
Police in Buxton and Old Orchard Beach both said more charges against Lepore may be filed.
Lepore is held at York County Jail in lieu of $3,300 bail on the four warrants and the felony reckless conduct charge. He is scheduled to make a first court appearance on Friday afternoon at Biddeford District Court by video link from the jail.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com. Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf contributed to this report.
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