A 40-year-old man with U.S. citizenship was denied entry by Canada Border Services Agency officials at the Woodstock-Houlton border crossing around 5:15 a.m. Sunday (May 1).
After being denied, the man crossed the border illegally in his vehicle.
Authorities tried to stop the vehicle but it sped off toward Woodstock.
CBSA contacted the RCMP who began a search.
At approximately 8:15 a.m., Caledonia RCMP located the vehicle near Salisbury travelling eastbound on the Trans-Canada Highway at a high speed.
It failed to stop for police several times.
Police attempted to use a spike belt near Memramcook but it was unsuccessful.
The vehicle exited the highway onto a dead end road in Memramcook, followed by marked RCMP vehicles with emergency lights activated.
Officers attempted to block the vehicle using the police cruisers, causing one of the cruisers to collide with the suspect’s vehicle.
The driver was arrested at the scene.
A police officer was treated at the scene by paramedics for minor injuries.
The suspect was not hurt.
On Monday, Thomas Trask Jr. of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, appeared in Moncton Provincial Court via tele-remand and was charged with flight from police.
He was remanded into custody.
He returned to court on Wednesday and the following additional charges were laid against him:
- dangerous operation of a conveyance
- resisting arrest
Thomas Trask Jr. was remanded into custody.
He was ordered to undergo a thirty day psychiatric assessment and is scheduled to return to court on June 3.
