ROCKLAND — An Edgecomb man led officers on a high-speed chase for the second-time in as many months Saturday night, exceeding 100 mph with two young children in the vehicle on Route 1, police said.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office charged Henry D. Thompson III, 33, with failure to stop for an officer, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, improper plates, refusing to submit to arrest, driving to endanger, operating after suspension and violating a condition of release. He was being held at the Knox County Jail in Rockland.

Thompson had been free on bail after being arrested April 22 for a high-speed chase on April 15 that began in Waldoboro and ended in Warren, the sheriff’s office said in an affidavit. Thompson was alone in the vehicle and was charged with felony eluding an officer, failure to stop for an officer, driving to endanger, criminal speeding, operating an unregistered vehicle and violation of a condition of release.

On Saturday, Knox County received a report shortly before 8 p.m. that Waldoboro police had tried to stop Thompson but he refused and sped off reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph. The officer ended the chase but tried to stay close enough to see where the vehicle was traveling, according to the affidavit filed in the Knox County court.

Two children, estimated at 6 years old and younger, were in the vehicle. The relationship between Thompson and the children wasn’t clear.

The car turned onto Route 90 from Route 1, and Knox County and state police positioned their cruisers along the way to observe but not chase the suspect because of the risk to the children and public.

Thompson then traveled along Route 131 and stopped along the road but sped off after police tried to get him out of the vehicle. He continued onto Route 17 where he eventually stopped and was removed from the car when Sgt. Lance Mitchell broke the driver’s side window.

On his way to the jail, Thompson said he should have stopped and didn’t know why he kept making the same mistakes, the affidavit said.

Thompson made his initial appearance in the Knox County court on Monday.


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