Harrington – On Sunday, November 18, 2018, the Harrington Police Department arrested Andy J. Leary 40, of Wilmington after he fled from officers and accelerated towards a Harrington Officer with a vehicle, said police. While on patrol at 5:46 pm, an officer on patrol on South DuPont Hwy. in the area of Corn Crib Road attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation.
The officer was in a fully marked Chevrolet Caprice patrol vehicle with lights and sirens activated. The vehicle failed to stop and fled at a high rate of speed and in a reckless manner on Rt. 13 northbound. The vehicle then turned onto Rt. 14 and began traveling eastbound and began traveling on the wrong side of the road and passing vehicles on the shoulder.
Due to safety concerns officers discontinued the pursuit and de-activated all emergency equipment and began following the suspect vehicle at a safe distance. The suspect vehicle pulled into a development off of Rt. 14 and slowed down and officers believed the vehicle was going to stop. Officers exited their vehicles in an attempt to take the suspect into custody, and the suspect vehicle accelerated towards a Harrington Officer and fled again from officers.
Officers then pursued the vehicle again back towards Harrington eventually turning onto Rt. 13 northbound. While traveling northbound on Rt. 13 the suspect vehicle continued to travel at a high rate of and began riding in the grass median of Rt. 13. The suspect vehicle then lost control striking a Harrington Police Department vehicle and entering into a field and coming to a stop, according to police. The driver, Leary, and an adult female passenger were both taken into custody.
Officials said during a search of the vehicle police located 6 baggies of Heroin and Drug Paraphernalia. A computer check also revealed that Leary had two active Capias out of New Castle County Court of Common Pleas for Violation of Probation and Failure to Appear for Arraignment for Driving under the Influence.
He was also wanted out of the State of Pennsylvania on Shoplifting charges and he also had a suspended Driver’s License. He was transported to Kent General Hospital for a Blood Draw for Driving under the Influence and the passenger was transported to the Harrington Police Department. The female passenger was later released and not charged.
Leary was charged with Reckless Endangering First Degree; Disregard a Police Officer Signal, Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Resisting Arrest, Criminal Mischief, Driving with a Suspended or Revoked License, along with several other traffic violations. He was arraigned via video phone at Justice of the Peace Court 7 and was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institute in default of $9,709 secured bond.