HOPEWELL TWP: Police hunting for suspect in New Year’s Eve chase

Police are searching for the identity and whereabouts of a man who led officers on a chase through multiple municipalities on Saturday, Dec. 31., According to officials, the incident took place just before 11 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, when Hopewell Township Officer Mike Peterson located a stolen 2008 Volvo S60 as it traveled along Bear Tavern Road near Church Road., At the time, police said Officer Peterson was parked on the side of the road when his on-board license plate reader alerted him that the vehicle in question had been entered into the National Crime Information Center’s databases as stolen., The Volvo had been reported stolen out of Hamilton Township on December 18., When Officer Peterson pulled out into traffic in an attempt to follow the car, officials said the driver sped up and ignored a red light at the intersection of Washington Crossing-Pennington Road and Bear Tavern Road. The officer allegedly witnessed the Volvo continue southbound along Washington Crossing-Pennington Road toward Route 29, where he saw the driver again disregard a red light., By the time Officer Peterson turned on his lights and activated the siren, official accounts allege that the driver was continuing onto Route 29 South., Police said the Volvo continued to flee from Officer Peterson along Route 29. When it attempted to make a left turn onto Sanhican Drive in Trenton, it was involved in a collision with a 2016 Acura that was traveling northbound along Route 29. Immediately following the accident, the driver and a passenger got out of the car and ran away on foot., According to police, the occupants of the Acura were not injured., After a short pursuit, Officer Peterson was able to take the passenger, Nathan D. McCray, 20, of Ewing, into custody. After receiving treatment for minor injuries, he was released and charged with receiving stolen property, resisting arrest by flight and obstructing the administration of law. His case will be forwarded to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office., Members of the New Jersey State Police, Ewing Police and Trenton Police, with the assistance of a Trenton Police K-9, arrived on the scene and attempted to locate the driver, but were unsuccessful., Hopewell Township Police Detective Louis Vastola and Hamilton Township Police Detective Thomas Clugsten are investigating the incident and are attempting to identify and locate the driver, who faces the same criminal charges as Mr. McCray, as well as eluding a police officer and multiple motor vehicle charges.