CHARLTON, Mass. — Both sides of the Massachusetts Turnpike were closed Wednesday as Massachusetts State Troopers pursued a suspect wanted on multiple felony warrants out of Maine and Illinois.
A trooper assigned to the Massachusetts State Police-Charlton Barracks located a 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor on Wednesday morning at the Charlton Service Plaza on Interstate 90 westbound that was reported stolen out of Biddeford, Maine.
The trooper located the male driver, Kevin Oldaker, 48, of Poplar Grove, Illinois, sleeping in the back seat. When awakened by the trooper, the man refused to unlock the doors of the car.
Oldaker reportedly began moving around inside the vehicle and said he could not find his keys. He then allegedly turned the ignition on and drove away westbound on the Turnpike.
The trooper then started to pursue the stolen vehicle.
WBTS reports that state police began chasing the SUV, which refused to stop for pursuing troopers. Oldaker allegedly used crossovers to evade cruisers in Chicopee and again in Ludlow. He exited the Massachusetts Pike in Ludlow and then re-entered the highway, continuing west.
Oldaker eventually hit a tire deflation device deployed by troopers, causing a flat tire. The pursuit continued until he stopped in Stockbridge, approximately 3 miles from the New York state line.
Once stopped, Oldaker reportedly again refused to exit the vehicle and a brief standoff ensued. He eventually surrendered and was taken into custody shortly after 9 a.m.
Oldaker is wanted on two extraditable warrants, one out of Maine issued last week charging him with violent stalking and one out of Illinois from February 2014 charging him with home invasion and sexual assault.
Oldaker is still being processed on the warrant charges and fresh charges from Wednesday’s incident.
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