CLEARFIELD – A Morrisdale man has been accused of leading a state trooper on a high-speed pursuit.
Lynn Scott Kovach, 33, has been charged by Trooper Chad D. Ryen of the Clearfield-based state police with fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, F3; recklessly endangering another person, M2; and numerous summaries.
On Wednesday Kovach waived his right to a preliminary hearing during centralized court at the Clearfield County Jail. His bail has been set at $10,000 monetary.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Ryen was traveling north on Route 53 in Morris Township, just south of Interstate 80, at approximately 10:53 a.m. March 26. He was in an unmarked state police patrol vehicle.
Ryen observed a gold-colored sedan traveling south and it had an expired inspection sticker on its windshield. He turned his patrol vehicle around in an effort to catch up with the suspect vehicle.
As he approached the intersection with Route 2030, Ryen activated his emergency lights to pass another motorist. Kovach started to flee west on Route 2030 and allegedly passed three vehicles in an “unsafe manner.”
Kovach continued westbound at a high rate of speed and attempted to turn right onto Deer Creek Road. He missed the turn and traveled onto a dirt lane behind several residences.
When Ryen was traveling north on Deer Creek Road, Kovach’s vehicle emerged from a private driveway. It started to travel south on Deer Creek Road.
Ryen attempted to block the suspect vehicle; however, Kovach swerved off the western berm into a private yard and around his patrol vehicle.
At this time, Ryen observed Kovach as he attempted to fasten his seatbelt. His female front-seat passenger was also not wearing her seatbelt.
Kovach continued south on Deer Creek Road, traveling through the intersection with Route 2030 at a high speed and without stopping at a posted sign.
As Ryen resumed his pursuit, Kovach attempted to turn right onto Old Turnpike Road from the middle of the roadway and without the proper signal.
Kovach reportedly missed the turn and impacted a PennDOT sign on the western berm. He continued traveling through a private yard and impacting several trees.
Kovach failed to stop again and fled west onto Old Turnpike Road at a high speed. He was traveling in the middle of the roadway when he made a left-hand curve and continued onto Summit Hill Road while crossing over into the left lane.
He attempted to turn right onto Centre Hill Road without signaling but traveled across both lanes and off the west berm. He reentered the roadway and the pursuit resumed.
Kovach then made a left turn from the left side of the roadway onto Sington Road without signaling or stopping at a posted sign. His vehicle reportedly slid sideways and nearly struck another motorist.
When he fled west, he was traveling at a high speed and using the entire roadway. He attempted a right turn onto Hilltop Road without signaling or stopping. He ended up traveling through a private yard and onto the roadway.
Kovach traveled northbound and turned left onto Route 2030 without signaling or stopping at a posted sign. He was allegedly fleeing westbound at a “very high speed” at this point.
He passed another motorist traveling in the same direction on a curve, just west of Sington Road. As other patrol vehicles were approaching in the opposite direction, Kovach attempted to make a right turn onto Shiloh Road from the middle of the roadway without signaling.
However, Kovach failed to make the turn, traveled over the sidewalk and impacted a fence on the northwest corner of Route 2030 and Shiloh Road.
He attempted to back up his vehicle; however, Ryen blocked him. Kovach’s vehicle subsequently hit the right, front corner of Ryen’s patrol vehicle. Kovach was taken into custody.
Kovach’s passenger was in the backseat wearing her seatbelt when the pursuit ended. She said she tried to get Kovach to slow down and stop, but he refused to.
She told Ryen that after Kovach impacted the sign, she became scared, got in the back seat and put her seatbelt on.
Upon further investigation, Ryen determined the vehicle had an expired inspection, a suspended registration due to lack of insurance and Kovach was in possession of a suspended Pennsylvania driver’s license.
