Meadville man accused of nearly striking officer with vehicle headed to trial

Mike Crowley, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·4 min read

May 1—A Meadville man who police say nearly struck an officer with a car before leading authorities on a chase that reached speeds of more than 124 mph in early January will head to trial in that case and another arising from an incident that occurred a week earlier.

In the first incident, police say Nathan R. George, 40, wrestled drunkenly with two Meadville Police Department officers attempting to arrest him at his residence in the 700 block of Chestnut Street on Jan. 2.

A week later, George allegedly fled from an attempted traffic stop by police, according to the probable cause affidavit filed by police in the case. He soon crashed head-on into another vehicle, nearly struck an officer responding to the crash, and then led police south for approximately 15 miles on Interstate 79. The pursuit ended, according to the affidavit, with George sending another car spinning off the highway and his own vehicle overturning multiple times before coming to a rest off the roadway.

George waived his preliminary hearings in both cases before Magisterial District Judge Samuel Pendolino on Thursday.

In the first incident, George is charged with pushing and poking another person before he resisted police efforts to arrest him. The criminal complaint filed by police describes him as having glassy, bloodshot eyes as he staggered and slurred his speech.

In the second incident, city police received reports that George may have violated a protection from abuse order and that he was driving while intoxicated and was carrying a gun, according to the affidavit. They attempted to stop George, who was driving a Toyota Camry near the intersection of South Morgan Street and Alden Alley, at about 4 p.m. Jan. 9.

George ignored their lights and sirens and fled west on Arch Street while traveling in the eastbound lane. He continued for several blocks, ignoring stop signs and nearly sideswiping another vehicle, according to the criminal complaint, before striking another vehicle head-on at the intersection of Liberty and Linden streets.

Just after the crash, the city police officer who had attempted to stop George parked behind the apparently disabled vehicle and exited his SUV. George backed into the police vehicle and then pulled forward into the vehicle he had struck in the intersection before backing up and striking the police SUV again.

At the time, Assistant Chief Michael Stefanucci said the responding officer was "a step away from being pinned between" the two vehicles.

As George headed toward the interstate, the officer who had nearly been struck returned to his damaged SUV, which had had the front bumper pushed back into the front of the vehicle, according to Stefanucci.

"Somehow, it at least remained functional enough that he stayed in pursuit," Stefanucci said at the time. The officer who narrowly escaped being struck was not injured in the incident.

Multiple city police vehicles were joined by several state police vehicles as George led them on a chase out of the city and south on I-79, according to a state police press release.

George's vehicle reached speeds of more than 124 mph during the pursuit and eventually struck another vehicle while trying to pass it on the eastern berm of the highway, police reported. The vehicle he tried to pass was sent spinning off the roadway while George's Camry overturned multiple times. He was not injured in the incident, according to police.

When state police approached George's car, he was standing by the open driver's side door and ignored commands from troopers who had their weapons drawn, according to police. Despite the troopers' commands, George repeatedly reached back into his vehicle, police reported.

When George stumbled away from the vehicle, troopers closed the car door and saw that his hands were empty before wrestling him to the ground and handcuffing him, according to the affidavit. Officers later found a loaded rifle in the vehicle along with three knives and an open container of vodka.

A breath test conducted at 5:28 p.m. showed George's blood alcohol level was 0.32 percent, according to police. Under Pennsylvania law, a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent is considered to be under the influence of alcohol if operating a vehicle.

George faces felony charges of aggravated assault and fleeing an officer. The misdemeanor charges against him consist of two counts of recklessly endangering another person, DUI — general impairment, DUI — highest rate of alcohol, accident involving damage to an attended vehicle and resisting arrest. The summary traffic charges against him include careless driving, reckless driving, four counts of failing to obey a stop sign, four counts of failing to stop at a red traffic signal and several speeding charges.

George also faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest and summary charges of drunkenness prohibited and harassment related to the Jan. 2 incident.

George remains free on $50,000 bail. A trial in the case will be scheduled for the September term of Crawford County Court of Common Pleas.

Mike Crowley can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.

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