A rush-hour drive home turned into a rolling crisis along Route 19 when a Carroll Township man allegedly steered his vehicle into oncoming traffic, smashed into a state police cruiser, and had to be Tasered before troopers could get him out of the driver's seat. Police say the man, identified as Frank Cope Jr., led officers on a chase through Peters Township and North Strabane Township that put commuters and patrol cars directly in his path.
According to observer-reporter.com, Cope briefly drove south in the northbound lanes of Route 19 before cutting back onto Galley Road. The outlet reports that he then struck one police vehicle and crashed into a state police cruiser while trying to turn into Kerry Court, a maneuver that only escalated the danger for officers trying to box him in.
Troopers Box In the Vehicle, Deploy a Taser
Troopers ultimately cornered Cope's vehicle on Galley Road, and the same report notes that they had to use a Taser to subdue him before he could be taken into custody. The chase and its violent end left Cope facing a lengthy list of charges tied to the October 9 incident, according to WPXI, which reported that police accused him of driving the wrong way on a busy road and ramming cruisers while intoxicated.
Per the Observer-Reporter's account, Cope is now facing 16 counts of felony aggravated assault, along with additional charges including resisting arrest, fleeing police, criminal mischief, flight to avoid apprehension, drug-paraphernalia possession, reckless endangerment and driving under the influence. District Judge Phillippe Melograne denied him bond and sent him to the Washington County jail to await a preliminary hearing, the outlet reported, with that hearing tentatively scheduled for October 19 at 1 p.m.
Conflicting Reports on Cope's Age
Coverage of the case has not landed on a consistent age for the defendant. The same Observer-Reporter report lists Cope as 55 years old, while a separate account from community.triblive.com identifies him as Frank Cope Jr., 54, of Carroll Township, Washington County. Neither age has been independently confirmed.
A Second Pursuit Case From Earlier This Year
A Second Pursuit Case From Earlier This Year This is not the only pursuit case connecting Cope's name to Washington County courts in 2026. In May, an alleged police chase began in North Strabane Township around 1 a.m. and ended with Cope's arrest in Fayette County, with two police officers injured, according to Observer-Reporter. That report said Cope was facing 20 charges at the time, including felony aggravated assault, flight to avoid apprehension and criminal mischief.
Triblive's account of the May incident described troopers finding Cope driving a BMW sedan at speeds up to 85 mph in a 55 mph zone, weaving and swerving before the pursuit escalated. As reported by TribLive, the charges in that case also included driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.
WPXI's reporting, credited to reporter Cara Sapida, characterized Cope as having an extensive history of driving under the influence, though the full scope of any prior offenses has not been independently detailed in available court reporting. Readers can track the status of pending charges through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System's Case Search portal, which provides public access to case filings statewide.
