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The Byram Township Police Department said the Feb. 23 incident began at 11:11 a.m. when an officer attempted to pull over the speeding vehicle on Route 206 North. Instead of stopping, the driver, later identified as Andrew Jack Acevedo, 19, accelerated, weaving through traffic and even passing another vehicle on the shoulder, police said.
The chase stretched into Andover Borough, where responding officers found the suspect vehicle crashed on the southbound side of Route 206. As officers approached, Acevedo and his passenger, 20-year-old Tyler A. Burwell, jumped out and took off on foot, police said.
Burwell, Hopatcong, was caught at the scene and taken into custody, according to police. Acevedo, 19, of Mount Olive, ran into the woods but was later tracked down by the Mount Olive Police Department, authorities said.
Acevedo was charged with resisting arrest, eluding, failing to report an accident, leaving the scene of an accident, fictitious plates, reckless driving, careless driving, driving on a suspended license, and more. Burwell was charged with resisting arrest and was booked into Morris County Jail pending a Sussex County Superior Court date, officials said.
The chase drew support from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the New Jersey State Police, Sussex County Sheriff's Department, and Mount Olive Police Department. NJSP deployed a helicopter while K9 units scoured the area for the fleeing suspect, authorities said.
Both men were lodged in the Morris County Jail awaiting their court appearances.
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