BURRILLVILLE – A 41-year-old Woonsocket man has been charged with reckless driving and eluding an officer after a dangerous chase through town that saw numerous near collisions, according to police.
Scott Fleming was picked up by Woonsocket Police just days later for a separate incident involving vandalism, and was returned to town on a warrant out of the Burrillville Police Department from the June 8 incident.
According to reports, police were called to East Wallum Lake Road that Monday for reports of an erratic driver.
Officers, the report notes, were familiar with Fleming: the state criminal database shows that Burrillville police have arrested him at least nine times, starting back in 1997 with charges of possession of a controlled substance.
On June 8, Fleming was driving an older model Jeep Cherokee at a high rate of speed when officers first spotted him on Chapel Street.
According to reports, Fleming accelerated to flee police, swerving in and out of traffic as they followed him along East Avenue toward Broncos Highway.
“I saw several vehicle(s) have to make evasive maneuvers to avoid Fleming collid(ing) with other vehicles and he swerved in and out of traffic with total disregard for the safety of others,” notes a narrative filed by Sgt. Brian Pitts.
When Fleming reached the busy highway, police say he did not stop for the red light, and instead drove into traffic, “nearly causing a catastrophic collision with numerous passenger and commercial vehicles.”
The chase continued along the highway, where police say Fleming nearly flipped the vehicle while traveling on the wrong side of the road, traveling at 70 miles-per-hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone, and had to apply his emergency brake to avoid a collision.
Police ended the pursuit after crossing the town border into North Smithfield for the safety of other travelers, according to reports.
Just four days later, on Friday, June 12, Fleming was arrested by Woonsocket Police on unrelated vandalism charges. He was also charged by North Smithfield police in the June 8 incident.
Fleming’s previous criminal record includes charges of assault, disorderly conduct, willful trespass, larceny, breaking and entering, vandalism, malicious mischief and malicious destruction of property out of departments including North Providence, Woonsocket, Smithfield and Johnston.
He is scheduled to be arraigned in 3rd District Court for the Burrillville charges on July 7.
