A Harrison man faces multiple charges after a high-speed chase in a stolen car Thursday that ended with a police dog tracking the man to his hiding spot in a tree stand.

Cristopher W. Hunt, 33, of 36 Jones Road, is being held at the Cumberland County Jail in Portland on $10,000 bail on charges of eluding an officer, receiving stolen property, driving as a habitual offender with a revoked license, leaving the scene of an accident and driving to endanger.

Deputies investigating a hit-and-run crash in Standish at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday determined that the 2001 Buick Century involved had been stolen and that Hunt was the driver, said Cumberland County Sheriff’s Capt. Don Goulet.

Deputies spotted the car on Route 302 in Naples but the driver sped off when they tried to pull him over, Goulet said.

The sheriff’s office called off the chase because the car was going up to 100 mph into oncoming traffic, creating a danger to the public, Goulet said.

Deputies spotted the car again 90 minutes later, chased it to Libby Road, a dead end road in Casco, and set out a spike mat, Goulet said. Hunt drove over the mat, deflating three tires, kept going and eventually crashed near 284 Roosevelt Road.

Advertisement

Hunt then ran off. Eventually, deputies and a police dog tracked him and discovered him hiding in a tree stand, which is used for deer hunting, Goulet said. Hunt then surrendered without further incident.

The car was apparently stolen in Norway, police said.

Hunt has a lengthy driving record that includes three convictions for drunk driving, including one in 1999 when he was 17, in which his blood-alcohol content was .12.

In March 2003, he was convicted of drunk driving again with a blood-alcohol content of .08

He was charged with aggravated drunken driving in 2004 for losing control on a straight road in Casco and driving into some trees while highly intoxicated, police said. The crash report does not list his blood-alcohol content. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and his face was bleeding.

He was charged in 2007 with leaving the scene of an accident after he backed into a vehicle and then sped off, police said. In 2011, he was charged with driving drunk, leaving the scene of an accident and operating after having his license revoked for being a habitual offender.

Copy the Story Link

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.