CLEARFIELD – A 26-year-old Clearfield man who has been accused of fleeing and eluding Clearfield Borough police waived his right to a preliminary hearing during centralized court yesterday at the Clearfield County Jail, according to court documents.
Randall Kenneth Laird, 26, of Clearfield has been charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, duties at a stop sign, reckless and careless driving and using improper class of license. His bail has been set at $10,000 unsecured.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, at approximately 6:28 p.m. on April 29, police responded to the area of East Walnut Street for a domestic disturbance. In addition, it had been reported that a man was bleeding from his face area.
While en route to the scene, police were advised the couple was walking toward South Fourth Street. The man was walking around a motorcycle, which he was later on and traveling toward South Third Street.
Police couldn’t locate either party at the East Walnut Street address. At the scene, they decided one officer would travel the upper section of East Walnut Street, while two others made contact with neighbors. Then, all three officers observed the motorcycle at the intersection of East Walnut and South Fourth streets.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Laird was the operator of the motorcycle. He wasn’t a licensed motorcycle operator. Laird looked at officers and sped off at a high rate of speed after making a left-hand turn onto South Fourth Street. Both police units had activated lights and sirens.
At this time, the motorcycle was at least a block ahead of the police units and continued to travel at an extremely high rate of speed. “This is a narrow, one-way roadway through a residential area. There were families outside their residence at the time,” said police in the affidavit of probable cause.
The motorcycle traveled through the intersection of Ogden Avenue again at a high rate of speed and failed to stop at posted stop sign. It traveled to the Park Avenue intersection, where it made a left-hand turn and failed to stop again. It continued traveling at a very high rate of speed and passed a vehicle near the intersection at South Seventh Street.
At that point, the motorcycle made a left-hand turn onto state Route 153 and an immediate right onto Bee Hill Road. It continued to where Bee Hill Road turned into Clover Hill Road and eventually turned right onto Larson Road. Prior to Larson Road, police lost sight of the motorcycle.
Police began to search for the motorcycle. One officer continued on Larson Road until he observed it parked in a private driveway. There, a man was leaning on the motorcycle. After the officer exited the vehicle, the man approached him, and he was placed under arrest. He was identified as Laird.
Police detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Laird, who also had blood shot eyes. He was asked if medical assistance would be necessary to which he said yes, as he had a cut on his left cheek. He was transported to the Clearfield Hospital and agreed to submit to a blood test.
Once he was transported to the hospital, Laird refused medical treatment. He was brought to the laboratory and blood samples were drawn. On May 14, police received the blood results from the Erie Crime Lab, and they indicated a blood-alcohol content of .021 percent.
