Aug 3, 2017 1 min read

Charged in chase: Michael Edward Phillips, 28, of 1549 Lantz St., Waynesburg, was charged by Waynesburg police with fleeing an officer and 17 summary traffic violations after a police police chase in the borough Tuesday night. Police responded around 8:30 p.m. to the report of an erratic driver. Police said that when they activated their lights and sirens and followed Phillips down North Wood Street, he ran a stop sign and sped up to the point that his vehicle was airborne at the intersection with East South Street. Police said Phillips ran multiple stop signals before reaching close to 90 mph heading south on Morgan Street. Because of concern for public safety, police stopped their pursuit just before Brickyard Hollow Road but continued to travel in that direction at a safe speed in case the driver caused a crash. State police joined the search and found Phillips just after 9 p.m. on Route 19, standing with a passenger outside his car. When police approached, they said Phillips got back in the car and sped off, but police detained the passenger, who reportedly told police he had been “scared that they were going to die” when he was in the car with Phillips.