Stolen Dump Truck Chase in Maine Ends With Crash at School Playground

A Massachusetts man is facing several charges after police say he rammed a cruiser and led officers on a chase through Lewiston in a stolen dump truck.

According to Lewiston police, the incident started just before 8 p.m. Friday when one of the city’s Flock cameras alerted officers to a dump truck that had reportedly been stolen out of Massachusetts.

Police say the truck was spotted in the area of Bartlett and Walnut streets. When officers attempted to stop it, the driver allegedly pulled into a parking lot on Walnut Street before realizing he had nowhere to go.

That is when police say the driver, later identified as 23-year-old Luis Antonio Moralespijoan of Marlborough, Massachusetts, intentionally rammed a police cruiser, totaling the vehicle.

According to WGME, authorities say Moralespijoan then drove away, leading police on a chase that ended at Longley School, where the dump truck crashed into a playground fence.

Police say Moralespijoan and two passengers tried to run from the scene but were taken into custody.

One officer suffered a large cut to the back of his head from the fence during the incident and needed staples. The officer inside the cruiser that was hit was not injured.

The news station is reporting that Moralespijoan is charged with reckless conduct, aggravated criminal mischief, refusing to submit to arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, theft by receiving stolen property, and theft by unauthorized use of property.

Police say his passengers, 20-year-old Angelika Almeida of Lawrence, Massachusetts, and 37-year-old Steven Grossi of Lowell, Massachusetts, are also facing charges related to the stolen truck. Grossi is also accused of refusing to submit to arrest.