CLEARFIELD – One of the men who escaped from the Clearfield County Jail on Memorial Day was in court twice this week.
Donald John White, 46, had been incarcerated on kidnapping, unlawful restraint, terroristic threats and assault charges in one case, and terroristic threats, assault and harassment in a second, when he and Robert Miller Jr., left the grounds on May 30 while on grass cutting detail.
On Thursday, he was before Judge Paul Cherry for a previously-negotiated plea agreement, which would give him a four-month jail sentence in exchange for him pleading guilty to only terroristic threats in both cases.
Assistant District Attorney Steven Johnston stated that the commonwealth wanted to withdraw this agreement because White now has several other cases pending.
Cherry allowed the plea to be withdrawn.
On Wednesday during centralized court, White waived felony charges of fleeing or attempting to elude police, as well as misdemeanor counts of flight to avoid apprehension, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, recklessly endangering another person, intentional possession of a controlled substance and numerous summaries in relation to a chase prior to his apprehension on June 17 in Huston Township.
According to that affidavit, police were dispatched to Penfield because they had received information that White, who was allegedly armed and ready to fire on police, was going to be in that area in a black Nissan Sentra.
He was spotted on Diamond Street in the passenger side of the vehicle. After a trooper tried to stop the car, the driver jumped out and White reportedly moved into the driver’s seat.
White fled on state Route 255 and a chase continued for seven miles into Elk County.
Additional troopers joined in the race with speeds going “well over 100 mph” while White allegedly passed numerous vehicles and oncoming traffic was forced off the roadway to avoid head-on collisions.
“White even passed on blind curves, nearly colliding with numerous unsuspecting motorists,” according to the criminal complaint.
Near Weedville, a trooper deployed spike strips, which caused White’s vehicle’s tires to slowly start deflating.
Police said he tried to continue to evade them by driving left onto Hemlock Street in Jay Township and then driving through residential yards.
At one point, he drove at a reportedly high speed, through a yard with an above-ground swimming pool with people in it.
A trooper was able to use the precision immobilization technique, which caused White to drive down a high grass covered embankment. The vehicle became disabled and White left it to run on foot.
Eventually White ran into the side of another police vehicle that was positioned to stop him.
An electronic incapacitation device was used to try to slow White down.
Three troopers than physically restrained him as he refused to be handcuffed. Once in custody, he was found to have a small amount of methamphetamine in his pocket.
During the chase, three state police vehicles were damaged, according to the report.
While on the run, White also stole a motorcycle in Bigler Township for which he is charged with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft by deception, as well as several summaries.
White had additional kidnapping, strangulation, terroristic threats, simple assault, false imprisonment and more charges held to court on June 17 in relation to his actions with the same victim on Jan. 3. (for more information on this case, click here)
He is also facing escape charges and he has an additional case in Jefferson County.
The other escapee, Miller was located at his daughter’s home in Clearfield on June 26.