A Tyrone man faces charges after allegedly fleeing police at speeds topping 110 mph and crashing the truck he was driving.
Michael Barto, 32, was arraigned Thursday by Magisterial District Judge Fred B. Miller on felony charges of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer and receiving stolen property, as well as misdemeanor charges of receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia along with several summary traffic violations.
Unable to post $25,000 cash bail, Barto was remanded to the Blair County Prison. He is scheduled to appear before Miller for a preliminary hearing June 21.
Police said about 9:45 p.m. Monday, a state police trooper at Snappy’s saw a white Chevrolet Silverado still running at a pump. A registration check showed the tag belonged to a Ford truck owned by a Tyrone man.
Court documents stated that the officer asked Barto if the truck belonged to him and was told it belonged to a friend.
After Barto appeared to speed out of the parking lot, the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop for the unlawful use of plates, but Barto accelerated to speeds between 100 and 110 mph, the officer reported.
Barto continued to flee on Route 350 in Snyder Township, then turned on South Mountain Road, passing and nearly side-swiping an ambulance, according to court documents.
The truck continued onto Hoover Lane and Election House Road, where the officer lost sight of the vehicle.
A resident along Hickory Hollow Lane then notified police that a white truck had crashed in a ditch in Taylor Township.
Finding the vehicle unoccupied, the officer observed a torn straw with a white residue and a suspected THC vape cartridge.
The officer also observed a pay stub for Barto from G&R Excavating, and the vehicle was towed to the state police Rockview impound yard.
During the investigation, police interviewed the registered owner of the Ford license plate who told police he sold his Ford truck to G&R Excavating with the registration still on it.
A check of the Silverado’s VIN showed it was owned by a deceased Ebensburg man, police reported.
Police contacted the man’s son who said he sold the Silverado to G&R Excavating and he was waiting for a death certificate so the title could be signed over to G&R.
Police spoke with the owner of G&R Excavation, who stated he bought the Silverado and in fact had reported it stolen, stating that it was missing from the lot Monday morning.
On Thursday, police secured a search warrant for the Silverado and found a vape pen with a THC cartridge, two straws, a marijuana edible and a THC cartridge box, according to court documents. Police also recovered Barto’s pay stub from G&R, along with a NAPA receipt and a Snappy’s rewards card.
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