High-Speed Chase on Easton Avenue

Bethlehem Township police were forced to play a game of musical states early Sunday following a high-speed chase in which the offending car almost slammed head-on into a police cruiser.

The 20-year-old driver, who had four passengers, also had two driver’s licenses – one from Washington state and one from Connecticut. And his car – a white 2011 Infiniti G37 four-door – had New York license plates.

Court records do not provide more detail on the New York plates, but they do identify the winning license. It’s the one from Washington state. The suspect, Arjan Singh, is from the town of Kent in the Seattle area.

As for the Connecticut license, Singh admitted to police it’s phony. It lists him as being 24, and the underage suspect admitted he uses it to get into clubs, the records say.

A criminal complaint filed by township Patrolman Robert Stametz said the incident began around 12:30am, when he saw the Infiniti speeding along eastbound Easton Avenue. As the car crossed the Santee Road intersection, it pulled into the left lane and passed four vehicles.

The car’s action forced a cruiser driven by Officer Daniel Barsnica to swerve off the road to avoid a head-on crash. The cruiser went into the driveway of an apartment complex. Stametz and Barsnica then activated their cruisers’ lights and sirens.

Stametz watched the Infiniti turn left onto Hecktown Road then enter a back yard – with the car lights off – on the 2900 block of Hecktown Road. The Infiniti had pulled behind a large truck in an attempt to avoid detection, the complaint said.

The officer had the driver get out of the car and found a Washington state driver’s license in his wallet. It identified him as Arjan Singh, date of birth March 31, 1992.

However, the officer also found a Connecticut driver’s license with a photo of Singh and the name Arjun Bhatia, date of birth March 31, 1988.

Stametz asked the man his name. He said it is Arjan Singh. After waiving his Miranda rights, Singh admitted the Connecticut license was phony and that he uses to get into clubs.

The officer asked the four passengers, whom the complaint does not identify, why the Infiniti was going so fast and passing cars. They said they did not know. They said they told Singh to slow down, “and they were scared because of his reckless driving,” the complaint said.

Singh was charged with recklessly endangering another person, fleeing or attempting to elude officer, driving without lights to avoid identification or arrest, reckless driving, careless driving, trespass by motor vehicle, violation concerning license-exhibit fake identification, and limitations on driving on the left side of the roadway.

He was arraigned later Sunday by on-duty District Judge Todd Strohe of Bangor and committed to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $5,000 bail.