A high-speed chase spanning three states culminated in the arrest of a Maine murder suspect in New Hampshire after the pursuit initiated in Massachusetts on Saturday. Dane Burke, a 55-year-old Maine resident, was identified as the suspect who led law enforcement on a multi-state chase that began around 8 a.m. near Lowell, Massachusetts, and ended with his vehicle crashing into a tree in Dunbarton, New Hampshire, as reported by NBC Boston.
Dunbarton police alerted the public to an active police incident on Saturday morning, urging residents to steer clear of the area around Stark Highway and Burnham Lane; meanwhile, the New Hampshire State Police posted that Route 13 was shuttered due to the chase which saw Burke, driving a silver Jeep Compass with Ohio plates against he sped through parts of I-93, I-293, Route 101 and Route 114, before the car met its fate against the arboreal obstacle. A statement obtained by CBS News Boston relayed that Burke was wanted for the murder of Nicole Jackson, his girlfriend, whose death was deemed a homicide following an autopsy.
After the crash, Burke is reported to have "barricaded himself inside the vehicle," prompting law enforcement to deploy "nonlethal munitions" to apprehend the suspect around 10:30 a.m, this tactic proving effective in containing the situation without further casualties. Burke, who faces murder charges in Maine, was taken with serious but non-life-threatening injuries to Concord Hospital under police supervision, as shared by New Hampshire and Massachusetts State Police, according to CBS News Boston.
Burke is currently being held on charges of being a fugitive from justice in New Hampshire and is expected to face additional charges related to the chase in that state. Authorities also anticipate charges in Massachusetts, according to the sources. He remains in custody without a scheduled court date as extradition proceedings to Maine are arranged, and details regarding his arraignment and transfer have not yet been released. Law enforcement agencies involved confirmed that no officers were injured during the incident.
