KANE — A Bradford man is in McKean County Jail after leading law enforcement officials on a high-speed chase from New York state into Pennsylvania.
Christopher Donald Salonis, 42, of 299 E. Main St., was arraigned early Tuesday morning before District Judge David Engman on charges of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, a third-degree felony; recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor; and summary charges of reckless driving, driving while operating privileges suspended or revoked, duties at a stop sign and operating a vehicle without valid inspection.
According to court records, on Monday night Bradford City Police received a call from the McKean County 911 Center reporting a high-speed chase on U.S. Route 219 into Pennsylvania. Salonis allegedly fled from a New York state trooper traveling south on Route 219.
A Bradford officer spotted the vehicle Salonis was driving, a maroon Dodge Ram 1500 pick-up truck, traveling south at a high rate of speed on North Kendall Avenue, and the officer activated his police vehicle’s lights and siren and began pursuing the truck, court records indicated.
Salonis turned west onto East Main Street, then south onto Welch Avenue, through an alley behind Togi’s Restaurant across to Bagley Avenue, where he turned north across East Main Street, failing to stop at the stop sign, to Kingsbury Avenue. From there, he turned east onto Euclid Avenue and north onto Fisher Avenue, stopping momentarily at the intersection with East Main Street.
Police recognized Salonis when the truck was stopped by East Main Street and stopped pursuing him, court records indicated. Salonis then allegedly turned west onto East Main Street, south onto Jerome Avenue, east onto Rockland Avenue and traveled across Oxford Street and parked on Rockland.
Police found the abandoned truck a short time later and began to look for Salonis. He was located on East Main Street near Fields Court and taken into custody without incident.
Court records stated that Salonis “cooperated physically but was verbally combative” during the arrest. Police reported that he smelled like alcohol and had slurred speech and glossy eyes.
Police transported Salonis to the Bradford City Police Station and asked him if he would submit to a blood draw at Bradford Regional Medical Center to be tested for drugs and alcohol; he refused, court records stated. He allegedly did not answer when he was read the Pennsylvania Chemical Refusal form.
According to court records, at some point during the chase, Salonis almost struck “police units and a civilian vehicle.” Court records further indicated that the truck’s inspection expired in March 2017, and his driver’s license expired Dec. 31, 1998.
Salonis was incarcerated in lieu of $50,000 bail. He has a Central Court appearance scheduled for Jan. 18.
