A truck driver is facing charges after he led police on a 34-mile chase that ended on the Pennsylvania Turnpike early Saturday morning.
State police said Christopher Boyer, 47, of Mifflentown, called 911 at about 2 a.m. claiming he was going to wreck the tractor-trailer he was driving.
When troopers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on State Route 70 near Arnold City, Boyer kept driving. A pursuit ensued, ending on the turnpike at mile marker 95.3 in Westmoreland County.
During the pursuit, Boyer threw numerous items from the cab of the tractor-trailer, including a steel canister and a refrigerator, as well as his shoes and socks, police said. The steel canister struck a police car, rendering it inoperable.
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Spike strips were used to stop the truck just after 3 a.m., but Boyer refused to get out despite orders from police. That's when troopers broke the truck's windows to enter the cab and used a Taser on Boyer.
The glass from the windows cut Boyer's feet, police said. He was taken to Monongahela Valley Hospital, where he was treated and a blood sample was taken.
According to police, indications were that Boyer was under the influence of Xanax.
Boyer is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, fleeing or attempting to elude, driving under the influence, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and multiple summary traffic violations.
