Hallowell Crash Leads to Massive Drug Bust After Wild Police Chase

A wild scene in Hallowell ended with a major drug bust after deputies say a driver led them on a high-speed chase that topped 100 miles per hour.

According to the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, deputies tried to stop a BMW on Water Street back on February 14 after spotting a disturbance. Investigators say the driver, identified as 35-year-old Ryan Benoit of Casco, took off — reaching speeds over 105 mph through the area.

WGME reports that the chase came to an end when the car went off the road near Shady Lane and slammed into a stump. Deputies say Benoit ran from the crash but was located a short time later in another vehicle near Jamies Pond and taken into custody.

That’s when things escalated even more.

The news station went on to say they later found a backpack near the crash site that matched another bag from inside the BMW. Inside, investigators say they discovered more than two pounds of cocaine, along with 120 grams of crack cocaine and 282 grams of fentanyl.

Benoit now faces a long list of charges, including multiple aggravated trafficking counts, eluding an officer, driving to endanger, leaving the scene of a crash, and speeding more than 30 miles per hour over the limit.