A high-speed chase that began in New Hampshire and extended into Massachusetts came to a conclusion this morning with one suspect taken into custody. WHDH reports that the chase began around 7:30 a.m. when a Mercedes SUV was stolen from a dealership in Derry, New Hampshire, the chase was momentarily called off before police resumed following the vehicle after it was spotted on Route 93 south.
The pursuit crossed state lines into Massachusetts, where NBC Boston details that the Massachusetts State Police joined in and spotted the stolen Mercedes on Interstate 93 south in Methuen, continuing on a high-speed chase down Interstate 495 south and Route 2. The driver maneuvered the vehicle across a highway median, changing directions and driving the chase to speeds estimated at 90 mph, but state police ultimately decided to terminate their pursuit for safety reasons and track the vehicle using its built-in GPS.
The chase ended in West Boylston near the Sterling town line after approximately an hour, with the driver, later identified as 40-year-old Andrew McInnes of Methuen, being apprehended without incident, the events leading to his surrender reportedly being a gas shortage that forced the vehicle to a stop. According to initial reports from Derry police received by NBC Boston, the incident began with a burglary at Steven's Auto Service where an individual broke into the establishment and appeared to have stolen some cash and keys to the later identified stolen Mercedes.
Derry Police briefly pursued a stolen vehicle on South Main Street before halting the chase due to safety concerns in a school zone. They alerted New Hampshire authorities, and the vehicle was eventually stopped by Massachusetts State Police using GPS tracking and air surveillance. McInnes is under investigation for the burglary and vehicle theft, but charges have not yet been determined.
