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Daniel McKay at one point tried fleeing on two flat tires before the stolen sedan broke down and he was arrested on Franklin Turnpike in Allendale, witnesses said.
Upper Saddle River Detective Capt. Edward Kane said the Valentine's Day pursuit began after McKay pulled over on Lake Street and asked officers out on another call for directions shortly before noon.
One of the officers ran the license plate on the Nissan Sentra that he was driving and it came back stolen, the captain said.
The officers tried to pull McKay over, but he hit the gas and roared off.
Police from Ramsey, Mahwah and Allendale soon joined in as the chase wound its way through their towns, Kane said.
Speeds reached 80 miles an hour, officers involved in the pursuit estimated.
At one point, Kane said, McKay stopped and the officers approached the Sentra on foot.
McKay then revved the engine at them in a threatening manner, the captain said.
The mini-drama ended minutes later.
McKay tried to keep going after a tire blew but finally came to a stop and was taken into custody after a second one popped.
"He went through school zones," Kane said. "It's a good thing kids were all inside at that time of day."
McKay was apparently under the influence of some kind of drug, responders said.
As a result, he was transported, in custody, to Bergen New Bridge Medical Center before he could be booked into the Bergen County Jail.
It's a familiar stop for the onetime career petty criminal.
McKay has a rap sheet that spanned nearly two decades across various towns, including Elmwood Park, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Paramus, Saddle Brook and Westwood, as well as in Hudson and Passaic counties, records show.
Most times it's involved burglary -- and theft -- or criminal attempt. Records also show resisting arrest charges in multiple jurisdictions, however.
No major arrests were recorded since 2016 -- and before that none since 2008.
Charges this time were expected to include aggravated assault on a police officer (for the engine revving), eluding, possession of stolen property and illegal possession of prescription drugs.
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