Dangerous High-Speed Chase Through Clinton Maine; Police Disengage But Alleged Culprits Crash Anyway

Despite disengaging for the sake of public safety, authorities say a car involved in a dangerous high-speed chase through the town of Clinton still managed to crash into a guardrail. Luckily, the juveniles inside were uninjured.

The incident began on the evening of Tuesday, October 21st, when Clinton Police Officer Joshua Chouinard caught sight of a group of young men acting strangely. Chouinard had heard, earlier that day, that two local kids were reported missing from town.
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According to the Clinton Police Department, while Officer Chouinard was scouting the area for any signs of the missing kids, he saw a group of young men take off across a yard and get into a dark sedan.

He recognized one of the kids from the description of the missing juveniles, so he attempted to get them to pull over for a traffic stop, using the lights and sirens of his unmarked cruiser. Authorities say the driver allegedly refused to cooperate, reversing around the law enforcement vehicle before taking off at a high rate of speed.

The car, still allegedly speeding, then turned onto Main Street in Clinton, without headlights.

Police believe 20-year-old Jamez Leggett was behind the wheel of the dark-colored Toyota at that time, and according to reports, kept speeding, driving erratically without headlights, and putting both other drivers, the police, and pedestrians at risk of being injured.

"During the pursuit, Leggett drove on the wrong side of the road, swerved across lanes, and reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour in a posted 35-mile-per-hour zone. The vehicle operated with headlights off for portions of the chase, posing an extreme danger to other motorists and pedestrians. Out of concern for public safety, the dangerous actions of the fleeing vehicle and the presence of juveniles inside the vehicle, Clinton Police terminated the pursuit before the vehicle reached the intersection of Gogan Road and Unity Road, an area known for sharp and hazardous turns."

Unfortunately, when law enforcement encountered the car again, a little while later, it had crashed into a construction zone. The car had collided with a guardrail and some large equipment on the site. The young men were nowhere to be found, presumably having run off from the scene.

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The police brought in a K9 unit named Hondo to look for the teens, who had fled into the woods and through a nearby brook. But the dog lost their scent.

Thanks to some help from the Kennebec County Sheriffs, authorities did catch up with Leggett later that night. They eventually found him in Winslow, miles away on the Albion Road. He was charged with Criminal Speeding of up to 30 miles over the speed limit, Driving To Endanger, along with Eluding a Cop and Criminal Mischief.

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He was initially taken into custody with bail set at $5,000 cash, but was later released by the DA's office, with orders to appear in court later.

According to the Clinton Police Department, the other occupants of the car are still unaccounted for, but are also NOT the missing juveniles authorities were seeking.

"As of the last update... the other two occupants have not been located by police, though there have been confirmed reported sightings of them. We have also confirmed that those individuals were not the missing juveniles officers were originally attempting to locate. The juveniles who were reported as runaways by their parents have since been found and are safe."

Thankfully, no one was injured during the alleged antics of that evening.