John Collins, 30, of Perryville, MD, faces multiple charges, including Attempted First Degree Murder, after an early morning chase in Bear damaged patrol vehicles and injured two troopers
According to a release, on Monday at about 2:44 a.m., troopers were dispatched when an alarm went off at the Hertrich Collision Center at 100 Buckley Boulevard, Bear, near the Texas Roadhouse restaurant.
An individual calling in the alarm for the business reported an individual operating a rollback tow truck entered the parking lot and was examining vehicles.
The trooper went the area and located the truck in the nearby Brandywine Woods development.
The trooper attempted to make contact with the individual at a dead end in the development, only to have the suspect then drove the tow truck directly toward the state police vehicle and struck it head, disabling it.
The seven-year trooper injured during the collision was treated and released from an area hospital.
The tow truck left the development and traveled westbound on Pulaski Highway (Route 40).
A trooper responding to the call saw the vehicle and a pursuit began. During the chase, a trooper and vehicle stationed in the median strip was intentionally struck by the suspect who drove the tow truck into the side of the marked State Police Tahoe disabling it.
Following the collision, the suspect fled westbound in the eastbound lane of Pulaski Highway, turning into Elizabeth Plaza Shopping Center at 1410 Pulaski Highway.
The vehicle traveled to the rear of the shopping center parking lot and stopped.
A third state police vehicle occupied by two troopers, one a recruit trooper, located the tow truck and performed a traffic stop. As the two troopers exited their patrol car, the suspect accelerated the tow truck in reverse striking the fully marked State Police Tahoe.
The recruit trooper who was trying to exit the vehicle on the driver side was thrown from the vehicle. The tow truck then accelerated when the 10-year veteran trooper fired rounds from his handgun into the vehicle and individual. The tow truck traveled to the front of the shopping center where it crashed and became disabled.
The operator of the tow truck identified as John Collins and front passenger identified as Gabrielle Santucci attempted to flee on foot but were taken into custody. The recruit trooper injured from the collision was treated and released from an area hospital.
The tow truck involved in the incident was reported stolen in York, PA.
Collins faces numerous charges, including Attempted First Degree Murder. He was held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on nearly $3.1 million cash bond.
Santucci faces less serious charges and was released on $2,500.00 secured bond.
