Chase ends in arrest of wrong-way driver Route 20

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    Charlton Police Department photos (Facebook)

    High-speed chase ends after driver strikes police cruiser on Route 20

    CHARLTON — In the early hours of Friday morning, a high-stakes chase unfolded on Route 20 in Charlton, leading to the apprehension of a wrong-way driver after a series of dramatic events.

    The Charlton Police Department reported that around 1:47 a.m., dispatchers received urgent calls about a vehicle driving against traffic near Old Worcester Road.

    All 3 on-duty officers, along with 2 others who were working a paid detail nearby, converged on the location. They encountered the errant vehicle and attempted to bring it to a halt. Defiantly, the driver, later identified as 33-year-old James Narcisse of Dorchester, engaged in a perilous escape, leading officers on a high-speed pursuit.

    The chase intensified as Narcisse's vehicle refused to stop, even after making contact with and disabling a police cruiser. The chase continued east on Route 20 until the Oxford Police Department's strategic deployment of spike strips brought the suspect vehicle to a grinding halt just shy of Route 56.

    The pursuit took to foot when Narcisse attempted to flee. He was swiftly caught by pursuing officers.

    Following his capture, Narcisse faced arraignment in Dudley District Court on multiple charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property over $1200, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for the police, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, and a marked lane violation.

    In the aftermath of the harrowing incident, an officer received medical attention for minor injuries but was subsequently released.

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