Antonio Singletary, 48, was behind the wheel of a 2017 Lincoln MKZ that Officer Frank McCall tried to pull over shortly before 9 a.m., Detective Capt. Darrin DeWitt said.
Singletary hit the gas instead, speeding off south on Polifly Road before the sedan knocked down a light pole and kept going as he tried to make a left onto eastbound Route 80, the captain said.
Singletary then tried to merge onto northbound Route 17, but the vehicle hit a curb and became disabled, he said.
Then all three occupants bailed out.
McCall and Detective Sgt. John Dalton grabbed two of them, but Singletary scrambled down an embankment and through overgrown brush, DeWitt said.
Police released the two after confirming that they didn't know that the vehicle was stolen, he said.
No injuries were reported.
Singletary, who previously lived for a time in North Carolina, has an extensive criminal history that includes arrests for burglary, robbery and drug and weapons possession, court records show.
SEE: Ex-Con Named in Englewood, Teaneck Burglaries
He served two four-year prison sentences for burglary in Southern State Correctional Facility in Cumberland County, records show.
Last month, Moonachie police captured Singletary moments after they said he’d smashed the window of a car and grabbed a purse.
SEE: Hackensack Career Criminal, 47, Nabbed By Moonachie Police In Vehicle Break-In
Hackensack police on Thursday obtained an arrest warrant charging Singletary with eluding, receiving stolen property and resisting arrest. They also wrote out a dozen traffic summonses.
Anyone who sees or know where to find Singletary is asked to reach out to CrimeStoppers of Bergenfield, Englewood, Teaneck, Hackensack, and Bogota, which offers cash rewards of up to $1 ,000. Tips can be made anonymously at www.bergencrimestoppers.org or by calling 844-466-6789, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Or call Hackensack police detectives directly: (201) 646-7740.
DeWitt thanked police from Hasbrouck Heights, Lodi and South Hackensack, as well as the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the Bergen County Rapid Deployment Team.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Middletown and receive free news updates.