Police chase ends in crash, injured trooper
BUTLER TWP — A Butler man facing drunken driving charges from a January arrest was arrested Friday on numerous charges after allegedly leading police on a chase that started in Butler and ended in Butler Township with a head-on crash that left a Pennsylvania State Trooper injured.
The trooper was taken by ambulance to Butler Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. His name and the severity of his injuries were not available Friday evening.
David R. Coleman, 50, of Butler, was arrested at the scene and charged with fleeing and eluding police, aggravated assault on a police officer, endangering the welfare of a child and numerous traffic violations. Driving under the influence charges are pending results of blood tests taken at the hospital.
Police said a 13-year-old boy related to Coleman was in his vehicle during the incident. Neither was injured.
Driving a Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle, Coleman allegedly fled from Butler police who attempted to pull him over for a traffic violation at Hansen Avenue and Renaissance Drive at 4:39 p.m. Friday.
“The actor failed to yield to the Butler City police and fled the area,” Trooper Josh Black said at a news conference at the state police barracks Friday evening. Butler City police requested assistance from state and township police, Black said.
Coleman drove at slow to moderate speeds to Route 68, Duffy Road and Whitestown Road, Black said.
Coleman turned from South Duffy Road to Whitestown Road where his vehicle struck the driver's side front corner of a marked patrol car, police said.
Coleman was processed at the barracks Friday night before being taken to the Butler County Prison for arraignment.
The injured trooper was being observed and evaluated at the hospital. Black said the trooper's family and other troopers were with him.Residents living near the scene on Whitestown Road said they heard the crash, but didn't see what led to it.Butler police charged Coleman with drunken driving, driving with a suspended license and other traffic violations following a traffic stop on Jan. 19.During that earlier traffic stop, Coleman was pulled over for allegedly making an illegal turn at North Monroe and Kittanning streets.Tests revealed he had a blood-alcohol level of .089 percent. A person with a blood-alcohol level of .08 is considered intoxicated under state law.Coleman waived most of the charges for court at a March 12 preliminary hearing. A charge of careless driving was withdrawn. He was free on his own recognizance following the hearing.On Friday, state and Butler police were joined at the scene by police, firefighters and ambulance crews from the township.
