Man Flees in Mercedes from Traffic Stop in Downtown Rehoboth
It’s not something that happens often in downtown Rehoboth Beach.
Last night, when police attempted a traffic stop in the second block of Baltimore Avenue, the man driving this silver Mercedes sped off and led police on a 90-second pursuit across downtown Rehoboth. Police said the car had a fictitious Delaware license plate.
It started around 7:05 p.m. just west of First Street. As the officer attempted to stop the driver for the violation, an unknown passenger exited the car and the suspect drove off in the Mercedes headed west to Second Street, then south across Rehoboth Avenue, and west on Christian Street. He failed to stop at the stop signs and for the red light and failed to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk, police said.
The chase ended here on Rehoboth Avenue at the crossover from Christian Street. He was surrounded by police cars and was boxed in after a fender-bender with a Honda Accord. Police say he struck one of the police cars too as he attempted to continue to flee.
As officers were taking the driver into custody he attempted to discard a bag of suspected drugs, police said. Officers found various suspected drugs including cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana in the car along with paraphernalia related to drug distribution.
Amazingly, nobody was injured.
Police later identified the man as Terence C. Savage, 34, of Millsboro, Del.
He was arrested and charged with two felony charges; disregarding a police officer鈥檚 signal and possession of a controlled substance in a tier 1 quantity. Savage was charged with five misdemeanor charges; resisting arrest, possession of marijuana other than personal use, possession of a prescription drug without a prescription, possession of a controlled or counterfeit substance without a prescription, and possession of paraphernalia not related to personal use of marijuana. Finally, Savage was charged with ten traffic charges; driving a vehicle at an unreasonable speed, failing to stop at a red light, failing to stop at a stop sign (x2), disregarding the right of way of pedestrians in a crosswalk, expired tags, fictitious registration, failing to have a registration card in possession, and failing to have learner鈥檚 permit in possession.
Savage was presented before the Justice of the Peace Court #3 for a bail hearing and committed to the Department of Correction in lieu of $7150 secured bail.