Police chase leads to arrest in Laurel

LAUREL, Del. – A high-speed chase in Laurel ended in the arrest of a 19-year-old.

According to the Laurel Police Department, the incident occurred around 4:08 p.m., an officer on patrol tried to stop a white Mitsubishi Eclipse in the area of West Street and Mechanic Street after they noticed the car was not displaying any registration plates.

The vehicle failed to stop and fled the area at a high rate of speed, according to police. The vehicle entered Laurel River Park where police say it went off-road before entering Market Street at Park Lane. When pulling onto Market Street, the vehicle collided with another car headed eastbound on Market Street.

Due to heavy traffic at the time and the vehicle collision, the officer did not continue pursuing the suspect’s vehicle. Thankfully, no one was injured in the crash. Officers began canvassing the area to try to find the car, which was located parked in the 200 Block of E. 4th Street.

A search was initiated from that location utilizing Delaware State Police Aviation and a K9 Unit from the Georgetown-area. While the search was underway, Sussex County 911 received a call from a person who said their vehicle had been stolen less than two blocks from the area.

Police made contact with the person who called 911 and it was determined that he was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the pursuit trying to file a false police report about the incident.

The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Michael G. Hawkins, of Laurel. He was arrested and charged with Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal (Class G Felony), Falsely Reporting an Alleged Incident to Law Enforcement (Class A Misdemeanor), Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Collision (Misdemeanor), Reckless Driving (Misdemeanor), Operating Uninsured Motor Vehicle (Misdemeanor), and multiple traffic violations.

Hawkins was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.