05/11/18 Dexter, ME – Handcuffed 22 Year Old Steals Dexter Marked Patrol Car And Abandoned In Garland, Maine – Arrested Later

www.bostonglobe.com

A 22-year-old man allegedly stole a police cruiser while handcuffed in Dexter, Maine on Friday morning and suffered serious injuries when he crashed a second vehicle later in the day, forcing rescuers to airlift him to a hospital, officials said.

The suspect, Tyler Tibbetts, somehow managed to steal the marked Dexter police Ford Explorer around 11:30 a.m. and drive off, according to law enforcement authorities. The vehicle was found abandoned shortly before 1:20 p.m. off Parkman Road in Garland, according to Maine State Police.

Stephen McCausland, a State Police spokesman, said in a written statement that authorities latter spotted Tibbetts “behind the wheel of a second vehicle and chased the car along Route 15 until it crashed” into trees in Corinth.

Tibbetts was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. No police officers were hurt during the pursuit.
“He was trapped in the wreck for well over an hour,” McCausland said in a follow-up email.

It wasn’t immediately clear why Tibbetts had initially been taken into custody, how he managed to steal the cruiser, or what charges he’ll face in the aftermath of the crash.