ST. ALBANS — A high-speed police chase, involving a stolen vehicle, ended in the apprehension of a Burlington man, Robert Eley, 40, on Saturday.
The incident began at 10:18 a.m. when officers from the Vermont State Police received a report of a vehicle, previously reported stolen from Burlington, spotted in Swanton.
Upon arriving at Swanton Plaza parking lot, where the vehicle was sighted, the vehicle fled the scene, heading south on Interstate 89.
The Swanton Police Department attempted to halt the vehicle with a tire deflation device, but the driver continued to flee, exiting the highway at Exit 20 to continue south on Main Street in St. Albans.
In the ensuing chase, the suspect’s vehicle rammed a marked state police cruiser, causing significant damage and injuring the trooper inside.
The chase ended when the suspect crashed into a parked truck on Fairfield Street near Lincoln Avenue in St. Albans City.
After the crash, Eley was taken into custody without further incident.
He was ordered held without bail at the Northwest Correctional Center, awaiting arraignment on charges including Gross Negligent Operation, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Grand Larceny, and Attempting to Elude.
The Vermont State Police were aided in the incident by the Swanton Police Department, St. Albans Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, St. Albans Fire Department, and AmCare Rescue Service.
