Ohio Man Leads Maine State Police On I-95 Chase

According to a press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety's Shannon Moss, a 33-year-old man from Ohio is facing multiple charges after police say he was driving erratically on I-95 in Penobscot County, fled a traffic stop and crashed in Hampden Monday afternoon.

Maine State Police say the Bangor Regional Communications Center received a report around 3:13 PM of a Toyota Tacoma weaving in and out of traffic near mile marker 163 in Plymouth. A trooper later located the truck traveling northbound and stopped it near mile marker 173 in Hampden.

During the traffic stop, police say the driver, identified as 33-year-old William Ratliffe of South Euclid, Ohio, became argumentative and initially refused to identify himself. The trooper also detected the odor of alcohol and saw an open container inside the vehicle. A female passenger was reportedly suffering from facial injuries.

When Ratliffe was asked to get out of the vehicle, police say he refused and then fled the traffic stop at a high rate of speed.

The Tacoma was later found crashed in the interstate median, coming to rest on the southbound side of I-95 across from the Hampden Rest Area. Ratliffe reportedly fled into the wooded median on foot.

With help from a Penobscot County Sheriff's Office K-9 team, police located Ratliffe hiding in the woods and took him into custody. He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital for medical clearance before being transported to the Penobscot County Jail.

Ratliffe was charged with domestic violence reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, domestic violence assault, OUI refusal, operating without a license, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, and leaving the scene of a property damage crash. Additional charges are possible.

*NOTE - All suspects are considered innocent until being found guilty in a court of law

The female passenger was taken to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center for evaluation.

The Penobscot County Sheriff's Office, Hampden Police Department, Hampden Fire and EMS, and the Maine Department of Transportation assisted Maine State Police with the incident.