Crime & Safety

Pickup Truck Driver Almost Hit Pedestrians, Police Say

Driver from Schuylkill County led police on wild chase through streets of South Bethlehem, nearly striking several people, according to court papers.

By Jack Tobias

A Schuylkill County man driving a pickup truck without a license led police on a chase through South Bethlehem Thursday night, including the area around the Sands Casino, and almost hit several pedestrians in the process, court records say.

Police found the driver, James J. Beasley, 36, of 206 Clay St., Tamaqua, shortly after he ran away from the pickup he abandoned on the 1600 block of E. Eighth Street. A female passenger was inside.

Beasley, who was out of breath and had large pieces of grass sticking out of his left sneaker, matched the description given by his passenger, except he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

Beasley told police he was “Michael Delaney,” but the passenger later verified the man was Beasley.

Police discovered he is wanted on a felony warrant for allegedly violating his probation on charges involving “dangerous drugs” out of Montgomery County, the records say.

They also found a plastic wax paper baggie “consistent with storing heroin” in his right “coin pocket” and a syringe cap in his right pants pocket.

A criminal complaint filed by city Officer Matthew Laxton says the officer first saw Beasley’s gray 2002 Dodge Ram northbound on E. Fourth Street at Shimersville Road around 8pm. The pickup had an inspection sticker that expired last November.

The complaint also says:

  • Laxton followed the pickup as it turned onto Emery Street, then sped through the parking lot of Cigars International on Spillman Drive and came “within feet” of a pedestrian.
  • Beasley would not pull over, even after Laxton activated his car’s lights and siren. The truck went through stop signs at Spillman and Lynn Avenue and Spillman and Emery, drove on E. Fourth onto Daly Avenue, then went through the red light at E. Third and Hayes streets.
  • The truck went around the back of the Sands complex and was speeding on the 100 block of Founders Way, where the vehicle “endangered” several people. It left the Sands area at a high rate of speed and went the wrong way on Drive A—something captured on surveillance video.
  • Another officer said he thought the truck was now going south on Lynn. The officer did the same thing and was flagged down by a person who said the truck almost hit her.
Beasley was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a level-three felony, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia and false identification to law enforcement authorities.

And he is facing a host of misdemeanor and summary traffic charges, including recklessly endangering another person and drivers required to be licensed. He’s also charged with not having proper insurance for the truck.

He was arraigned around 1:30 Friday morning by on-duty District Judge Robert Hawke of Lehigh Township and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.


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