Central Maine Man Arrested Following Scary Wrong Way Incident on I-95

According to a press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety, a Norridgewock man is facing multiple charges after police say he led law enforcement on a dangerous pursuit Sunday night on Interstate 95 in the Bangor area.

According to a representative for the Maine State Police, the incident began around 9:20 PM when a Maine Game Warden was driving north on I-95 near mile marker 186 in Bangor with emergency lights and sirens activated while responding to a search-and-rescue call.

The warden encountered a Chevrolet pickup truck, which was later reported stolen from Skowhegan, being driven erratically in the passing lane. Police say the driver brake-checked the warden and failed to pull over despite the emergency lights and siren.

The warden notified State Police and attempted to stop the truck. Investigators say the driver used an emergency-only crossover near mile marker 191 in Orono, sped to more than 80 miles per hour, then crossed back over near Hogan Road in Bangor and began driving south in the northbound lanes of the interstate.

State Police say a sergeant used a cruiser to ram the pickup, forcing it off the road and into a ditch, where another trooper and the game warden boxed the vehicle in.

The driver, identified as 60-year-old Lawrence Knowles of Norridgewock, was taken into custody after a brief standoff. He was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital before being booked into the Penobscot County Jail early Monday morning.

Knowles is charged with Eluding an Officer, Operating Under the Influence of Drugs, Reckless Conduct with a Dangerous Weapon, Aggravated Operating After Habitual Offender Revocation, Violation of Conditions of Release, and Refusing to Submit to Arrest.

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

No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.