A man who claims he is homeless got into a chase with Trooper Diane Vance of the Maine State Police after he nearly collided head on with her cruiser in Sidney late Thursday morning.

According to Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland, he trooper attempted to stop John J. Gagnon, 56, who lived in Turner in 2012, between Sidney and Route 202 in Manchester, but Gagnon refused to pull over.

McCausland said Vance lost sight of Gagnon when the car veered down a narrow woods road in Manchester off Route 202.  Other troopers, Kennebec Sheriff’s deputies and Augusta police converged on the area looking for the car, which disappeared for about half an hour. During that time, the license plates on the Subaru station wagon were switched from a NH plate to one from MA, McCausland said.

The car was later spotted on Puddle Dock Road in Manchester and the chase continued out Summerhaven Road, onto Route 27 and back toward Augusta at speeds over 80 mph.  Troopers ended the chase on the Leighton Road when a trooper used a “pit maneuver” for force the fleeing car into a controlled spin.  The car came to rest wedged between a tree and a guy wire of a utility pole by Allen’s Transfer.

According to McCausland, Gagnon has a long criminal history in Maine, including several jail terms. He now faces a variety of charges from the pursuit and was taken to the Kennebec County Jail.

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