CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man accused of attempting to flee and elude police waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during Centralized Court at the Clearfield County Jail.
Jarred David Peters, 23, of Clearfield has been charged with unlawful restraint of minor/not parent – risk of bodily injury; fleeing or attempting to elude an officer and recklessly endangering another person. Bail has been set at $25,000 monetary.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Dec. 16 Lawrence Township police were assisting state parole agent, Keith Summerson, with intercepting Peters in or around the High Street area. A township officer was parked in an unmarked unit on Byers Street and waited for contact from Summerson or to observe Peters.
The officer observed Peters, who was driving a 2003 green Ford Focus with Pennsylvania registration. Peters traveled down Hill Street and allegedly failed to stop at a posted sign while Summerson was following in a vehicle behind him. The officer activated the unmarked patrol unit’s overhead emergency lights and the state parole agent moved out of the way.
The officer allegedly observed Peters turn right onto Woodland Road without signaling. He allegedly continued to travel until turning right onto Wrigley Street without signaling. The officer attempted to keep up with Peters at a safe speed on Wrigley Street. At the top of Wrigley Street, the officer allegedly observed Peters fail to stop at the posted sign and turn left onto Firetower Road without signaling.
The officer continued to follow Peters on Firetower Road, where he allegedly passed and maneuvered around two vehicles. At this point in the pursuit, the officer indicated he was traveling at 86 miles per hour to keep up with the Peters vehicle. The officer allegedly observed Peters fail to stop at a posted sign and turn left without signaling onto Route 153 toward Houtzdale.
The officer allegedly observed Peters cut in front of two oncoming vehicles that were traveling in each direction. The officer stated in the affidavit that the three vehicles almost collided; the other two vehicles had to stop in the intersection. The officer said he had to activate his unit’s siren and signal the vehicles to move.
When the vehicles slowly moved, the officer continued in Peters’ direction of travel on Route 153. However, the officer lost sight of the Peters vehicle and eventually discontinued his pursuit.
Another township officer contacted Verizon Wireless, which “pinged” Peters’ cellular phone. Verizon notified police that his cellular phone last “pinged” near Grandview off of Bloomington in Curwensville.
Later, a Clearfield Borough officer called and reported that a female informed the vehicle, which Peters was driving, almost hit her own. At the time this allegedly occurred, she told police she was inside the vehicle with her two children and she was basically forced to travel off of the roadway.
Officers proceeded to the EconoLodge in Clearfield in an attempt to locate Peters. However, an employee advised officers that there wasn’t any record of Peters staying there.
Clearfield County Control contacted officers and advised a juvenile had information on Peters’ whereabouts. Upon making contact with the juvenile, she alleged that Peters had grabbed her arm and forced her to get into the vehicle. She told police she was in fear that they were going to get killed or kill someone else due to the speed that Peters was traveling at to flee from and avoid police.
The juvenile told police she asked Peters to stop the vehicle multiple times and even to let her out. He allegedly refused to stop, she said. She advised officers that Peters was staying in a specific room at the EconoLodge with his mother.
Officers, along with Summerson, then went back to the EconoLodge in an attempt to locate Peters. An officer and Summerson went inside to attempt contact with Peters; an officer waited outside near the Ford Focus, which Peters allegedly used to flee and elude police.
A township officer took Peters into custody, and Peters was transported to the county jail. While transporting him, he continually apologized for his misconduct and advised he fled from police because he was scared.
Peters allegedly related he had observed Summerson, which caused him to get into the vehicle registered to his mother. He allegedly said it was an attempt to avoid Summerson because he was aware he violated his parole by leaving a halfway house.
Peters allegedly continued to describe the incident and advised he’d observed the officer with activated emergency lights. Peters allegedly ended his apology, saying: “I was just scared, man.”
Police attempted to contact the motorist whose vehicle Peters almost hit but she couldn’t be reached. The juvenile advised that she would cooperate and a second, teenage female was also in the vehicle with her during the pursuit. The juvenile said she could provide them with her name and information.
Police noted there would be continued attempts to collect information regarding the incident.