COAL TOWNSHIP - A 19-year-old Shamokin man, who allegedly ran through 11 stop signs and one red light, swerved his vehicle at a state police cruiser and slammed on his brakes to cause an accident near Fairview Gun Club earlier this month, has been charged with numerous offenses including a felony of aggravated assault.
Brandon Lee Thew, of 612 Bear Valley Ave., is charged by Trooper Nicholas Berger of state police at Stonington with aggravated assault, accidents involving death or personal injury, recklessly endangering another person, fleeing or attempting to elude police, underage drinking, a red light violation, driving on the wrong side of the road, failure to drive in a single lane, a stop sign violation, failure to activate his turn signal, driving at an unsafe speed, careless driving, reckless driving and restrictions on alcoholic beverages.
The charges relate to an early-morning July 7 police pursuit that began on Route 225 between Trevorton and Shamokin and ended when Thew crashed a white 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee into a tree near Fairview Gun Club in Coal Township. A state police car operated by Berger and occupied by Trooper Barry Wooten, who were pursuing Thew, crashed into the rear of the Jeep Cherokee moments after it struck the tree.
Julisa Marie Forney, Chelsea Marie Thew and Jesse Dale Swank were passengers in the Jeep Cherokee. Forney, a back-seat passenger, suffered mild injuries. She was treated by emergency medical personnel at the scene and released. Brandon Thew and his two other passengers escaped injury, as did Berger and Wooten.
According to a police affidavit, Berger and Wooten were traveling north on Route 225 at 3:15 a.m. when they observed a white sport utility vehicle in front of them travel outside its lane three times within a mile, once with a car coming in the opposite direction. Berger said the troopers attempted to stop the vehicle in the area of Mountain View: A Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Berger said the driver of the SUV, later identified as Brandon Thew, pulled to the side of the road and appeared to be stopping, before continuing north on Route 225. As Berger pulled the police car beside the Jeep Grand Cherokee in an attempt to halt the pursuit. Thew swerved his vehicle toward the police cruiser before traveling completely into the oncoming lane.
Police said Thew's vehicle remained in the oncoming lane while rounding a right curve in the road and speeding toward the intersection with Route 61. Berger said the Jeep Cherokee re-entered its lane of travel before traveling through a red light at West Walnut and Second streets in Shamokin and running various stop signs on Second Street. Berger said the SUV then turned onto State Street, where it ran several more stop signs before crashing into a tree on a dirt road off the Venn Access Road near the gun club when it failed to negotiate a 90-degree left turn. Police said Thew, who traveled at high rates of speed throughout the chase, slammed on his brakes before crashing into the tree.
Upon being interviewed about the accident, Brandon Thew told police he couldn't provide a reason why he fled. Thew told police he tried to hit the police car because he didn't want the troopers to chase him anymore.
Thew was arraigned on the charges at 11:30 a.m. Thursday by Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III and released in lieu of $5,000 bail.