Man Allegedly Leads State Police On Chase, Breaking 120 Mph On I-376

Man allegedly leads state police on chase, breaking 120 mph speed limit in Beaver County

BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. – A local man faces more than a dozen charges, including three felonies, after state police say he led them on a chase, breaking speeds of 120 miles per hour.

It started late Monday night when officers say they saw a car reported stolen outside of Aliquippa. They followed the stolen black Ford Fusion from Mill Street to Interstate 376 East.

Documents show troopers tried to stop the car in Hopewell Township but were unsuccessful. They say the driver, 18-year-old Michael Eugene Brown, fled the scene and reached speeds of more than 120 miles per hour.

They say Brown took the Hopewell exit and went back onto the highway. This time, the car was traveling in the same direction but in the wrong lanes, traveling east on the west side.

According to the complaint, Brown drove the wrong way until he reached the Flougherty Run exit in Moon Twp.

“All the people he could have killed. Just… Babies, people, it’s crazy! It’s crazy that somebody in this day and age would go and do that,” said Kim Sirota. He lives near Mill Street where the chase began.

Finally, spike strips were used. The strips disabled both Brown’s vehicle and a police cruiser. He was eventually arrested in Robinson Township near The Pointe and taken back to Beaver County for a drug test.

Police say they found a loaded semi-automatic handgun and marijuana in the car.

“This isn’t a good way to travel that fast. But if he was in trouble, he was being chased. So what else is he going to do?” Helen Sutton said. He lives in the Aliquippa area.

Brown faces a total of 16 charges. The three offenses are receiving stolen property, fleeing and eluding police and carrying a handgun without a license. His preliminary hearing is set for August 8.