High-Speed Chase Through West Bethlehem

A Whitehall Township man is accused of leading Bethlehem police on a high-speed chase – driving faster than 70 mph along W. Broad Street and into Allentown – early this afternoon as they tried to arrest him for an alleged assault downtown.

According to court records, two officers in city police cruisers tried to stop Jason A. Roman as he drove west on W. Broad Street at Third Avenue at a little after noon.

But instead of stopping, Roman hit the gas on his green Honda Accord, crossed the double yellow line to pass vehicles stopped for a red light, went through the red light and came within four feet of striking one of the police cruisers head-on, according to the arrest warrant.

The pursuit began after police received a report that there had been an assault outside of the at 18 W. Broad St.

The victim, Joshua Urena, told police that his attacker accused of him of “looking at him” before grabbing him by the throat, wrestling him around and throwing him into a glass window, which broke. Urena suffered cuts and abrasions on his face, neck, arms and back, according to the court papers.

Urena was able to identify his attacker’s car, a green Honda Accord parked on the street. Police trained one of its surveillance cameras on the car and had the communications center watch for its owner’s return. In the meantime, officers were able to identify the car’s owner as Roman.

Roman was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a felony; simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, both misdemeanors; and multiple summary offenses, including driving under suspension and careless driving.

Roman was arraigned in front of and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.