CLEARFIELD – A Morrisdale man will be spending time in state prison for leading police on a high speed chase.
Lynn Scott Kovach, 33, pleaded guilty Monday during a special sentencing court session to fleeing or attempting to elude police, recklessly endangering another person and several summaries including driving under suspension.
Judge Fredric J. Ammerman sentenced him to three months to two years in state prison.
In addition, his probation on a previous case was revoked and he was given a six-month to one year consecutive sentence.
Prior to sentencing, Ammerman commented that in this situation, “someone could have gotten killed.”
The charges stem from an incident on March 26 on state Route 53 just south of Interstate 80.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the trooper observed a gold-colored sedan traveling south with an expired inspection sticker on its windshield. He turned his patrol vehicle around in an effort to catch up with the vehicle.
As he approached an intersection with SR 2030, he activated his emergency lights to pass another vehicle. The sedan started to flee west and passed three vehicles in an unsafe manner.
The vehicle whose driver was later identified as Kovach continued westbound at a high rate of speed, and then attempted to make a right turn onto Deer Creek Road. But he missed the turn, traveling instead onto a dirt lane behind several residences.
As the trooper was traveling north on Deer Creek Road, the sedan emerged from a private driveway and started to travel south on Deer Creek Road.
The trooper attempted to block the suspect vehicle but, Kovach swerved off the western side of the road into a private yard and around him.
At this time, the trooper observed Kovach attempting to fasten his seatbelt and noticed a female front-seat passenger did not have her seatbelt fastened.
Kovach continued south on Deer Creek Road and traveled through the intersection with SR2030 at a high speed without stopping at a posted sign.
The trooper continued to pursue the vehicle south on Deer Creek Road.
Kovach then attempted to turn right on Old Turnpike Road from the middle of the roadway without signaling.
Kovach missed the turn, striking a PennDOT sign on the western berm. He then traveled through a private yard and impacted several trees.
Kovach failed to stop and entered Old Turnpike Road as he continued to flee west.
At this point, he was traveling in the middle of the roadway and he made a left-hand curve as he continued onto Summit Hill Road while crossing over into the left lane.
He then attempted to make a right turn onto Centre Hill Road without signaling. He traveled across both lanes and off the west side of the roadway. He reentered the roadway and continued fleeing at a high rate of speed.
Kovach then made a left turn from the left side of the roadway onto Sington Road without signaling or stopping at the stop sign. His vehicle slid sideways nearly striking another motorist.
As Kovach continued 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 missed the turn, and then traveled through a private yard before getting back onto Hilltop Road.
Kovach traveled northbound and made a left turn onto SR 2030 without signaling or stopping again.
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.
Kovach failed to make the turn, traveled onto the sidewalk where he impacted a split rail fence on the northwest corner of Route 2030 and Shiloh Road.
When he attempted to back up, the trooper blocked him with his patrol vehicle. Kovach’s vehicle struck the right, front corner of the car.
Kovach was taken into custody.
The female passenger was found in the backseat wearing her seatbelt. She said she tried to get Kovach to slow down and stop, but he refused.
After he struck the sign, she told police, she got scared and got into the back seat where she put on a seatbelt.
