A Chatham youth who is barely old enough to legally drive won't get the chance to drive too much in the near future after leading police on an off-road chase in a stolen vehicle Sunday evening.
Chatham-Kent police said their investigation started when they were called to a single-vehicle crash in the area of Park Avenue and Degge Street in Chatham shortly after 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Police said they learned a pickup truck had hit a railway crossing in that area and then kept driving on Park Ave. before it went off the road and into a bean field.
Officers said they were able to quickly track the vehicle down and tried to get the driver to stop, but the vehicle kept going through the bean field, eventually crossing over the road into a cornfield before it hit an apple tree.
Police said the driver then allegedly took off running but was arrested after a short foot chase.
Officers then learned that the vehicle had been stolen from a local business.
A 16-year-old Chatham youth was charged with fleeing the scene of a collision, failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, mischief, theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of stolen property.
He was taken to police headquarters and was set to be held there pending a bail hearing.
