Oxford man nabbed after Pike pursuit
An Oxford man was due to be arraigned in Newton District Court Wednesday after leading troopers on a 27-mile pursuit that reached speeds of up to 115 mph on the Mass Pike, state police said.
Sean T. McLaughlin, 35, was arrested at about 3:30 a.m. and charged with receiving stolen property worth over $1,200 and multiple motor vehicle charges, including speeding, marked lanes violation, failing to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, use of a motor vehicle without authority, operating with a suspended license and failure to signal.
McLaughlin also is the subject of two warrants, police said: one out of Worcester District Court charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and vandalism to a motor vehicle, and another out of Dudley District Court charging him with larceny, shoplifting and breaking and entering at nighttime into a vehicle.
Shortly after 3 a.m., a trooper assigned to the Framingham barracks was on patrol on Interstate 95 North in Weston when the trooper reported he saw a gray 2014 Nissan Altima with a temporary South Carolina license plate speeding and traveling erratically, police said.
The trooper followed as the Altima took Exit 25 onto the Turnpike westbound. But when the trooper tried to stop the car, police said, the driver initially slowed down and pulled into the breakdown lane and then suddenly accelerated again and fled on the turnpike, heading west.
Troop H Headquarters authorized and assumed command of a pursuit of the vehicle, police said. Amid light traffic, the car by this time was traveling at speeds of up to 115 mph and was changing lanes as it passed other vehicles, police said.
Several other troopers joined the pursuit, while others were able to get ahead of the suspect’s route. One of them deployed a Stinger tire-deflation device, police said, and just after 3:20 a.m., the car hit the Stinger, which deflated all four of its tires and caused it to come to a stop a half mile before Exit 11 in Millbury.
Troopers arrested McLaughlin and found that the Altima had been reported stolen in Sarasota, Fla., police said. The plate attached to the car was a temporary plate registered to a business in West Columbia, S.C. Troopers found the Florida license plate that belonged to the Altima inside of the car, police said.