A man from Maine accused of sexually assaulting a child led police on a fatal chase yesterday that ended with his car crashing into a tree, state authorities confirmed. The suspect, Joshua Burdin, 32, died at the scene after his vehicle collided violently on South Strong Road in Farmington.
According to NECN, the pursuit began when sheriff's deputies received a call about a child being assaulted at a home on South Strong road shortly before 5 p.m. Burdin was quickly identified as the suspect but fled before police arrived. Following a tip, a sheriff's delegate located Burdin driving in Strong at around 6:10 p.m. and attempted to pull him over. However, Burdin refused to stop, leading officers on a chase.
Maine State Police described the incident as a "low-speed chase" that turned deadly after Farmington police installed spike strips on the road. As per reports from WGME, after driving over the spike strips, Burdin's vehicle, a Subaru Impreza, lost its front tires. He then reportedly accelerated before crashing.
Following the impact, Burdin was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. His body has been transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta where, an autopsy will be performed to determine the precise cause of death.
