Driver switches cars after 30-mile pursuit, troopers say

Ditched his car, got into car driven by Berks man, they say

A Lancaster County man led a state trooper on a more than 30-mile pursuit from the Reading interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike before getting away by abandoning his car in the middle of a road in northern Berks County, authorities said.

The suspect, identified as Ethan W. Welch, 20, of Kirkwood, was assisted in his getaway by a friend, Dominic M. Santangelo, 25, of Perry Township, a state trooper said in the affidavit.

After abandoning his car in the middle of Forgehill Road in Richmond Township the evening of Dec. 13, investigators said, Welch was seen getting into the passenger side of Santangelo’s car. Santangelo then sped away, and the trooper lost sight of the car and terminated pursuit.

Through investigative means, troopers identified both drivers and filed criminal charges March 25. Welch turned himself in on April 1 and remains free on $3,000 bail, according to court records.

Santangelo was at large until his arrest Monday by state police. Arrest details were unavailable.

Following arraignment Monday night before District Judge Michael D. Kauffman in Reading Central Court, Santangelo was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail to await a hearing.

According to the affidavit:

Trooper John Holbert from the Bowmansville station was conducting speed enforcement and clocked a car traveling at 115 mph on the turnpike in Brecknock Township, Lancaster County, on Dec. 13 about 6:30 p.m.

Holbert pulled out to initiate a traffic stop. The car, a white Hyundai, shifted from the left lane to the right then exited the turnpike at the Reading interchange. With the patrol vehicle in pursuit with its lights and sirens on, the Hyundai passed two vehicles by driving onto the shoulder.

Holbert notified a dispatcher that he was in pursuit of a white Hyundai northbound on Route 222.

The pursuit continued on Moselem Springs Road in Perry Township. After the Hyundai turned onto Forgehill Road in Richmond Township, the driver got out, leaving the car in the road with the driver’s side door open, and got into a silver Hyundai, which sped off.

Holbert notified dispatch that he was in pursuit of a different vehicle. He lost sight of that car and cut off pursuit, but not before getting the license plate numbers.

That trooper and several other police officers went to Santangelo’s residence in the 1500 block of Moselem Springs Road. He wasn’t there, but they asked his girlfriend to call him.

Santangelo agreed to return to the residence, but he failed to return.

He was charged with fleeing and eluding police and numerous summary traffic offenses.

Welch was charged with similar offenses as well as abandoning a vehicle on a public road.