Oil City Man Facing Charges After Fleeing from Police Following Traffic Stop

| June 30, 2015

police lightsOIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – An Oil City man faces several charges after he allegedly sped off and led police on a multi-street chase following a traffic stop on June 23, in Oil City, Venango County.

According to a criminal complaint, Mark Daniel Fenstermaker, 31, was the driver of a truck which police spotted in the middle of the road and partially on a set of railroad tracks.

Police say two men outside the vehicle jumped into the truck “and sped off fishtailing in front of (the police vehicle).”

A short pursuit ensued before the truck pulled to the right edge of the road, the complaint indicates.

Police say Fenstermaker appeared to be sluggish and disoriented, but turned the vehicle off at police request. When asked why he was stopped on the tracks and took off when police arrived, Fenstermaker allegedly said he was checking something, but “a male passenger said he had to pee,” the complaint states.

Fenstermaker allegedly looked for and found a vehicle registration card, but told police it was not the right one before putting it into the glove box and attempting to start the vehicle, the complaint indicates.

Police advised him not to start the vehicle, and Fenstermaker allegedly said he needed to turn on a light to see what he was doing. Police said he did not need to turn the engine on to use a light, and Fenstermaker allegedly started the vehicle, put it in drive, and sped off, according to the complaint.

Police pursued the vehicle along Quaker Drive, Charles Drive, College Drive, and Senate Drive and then onto Planters Drive and Cornplanter Hill Road, measuring the speed of the pursuit at between 30 and 65 miles per hour, the complaint continues.

“The truck continually was fishtailing and striking several vehicles parked along the roadways,” according to police.

Police lost sight of the vehicle along Cornplanter Hill Road, came around a bend, and saw the vehicle coming toward the police vehicle from a ditch on the right side of the road, the complaint indicates.

When the police vehicle stopped, “the truck went diagonal in front of (of it) and went off the berm of the road and just missed a sign post and then struck a tree on (its) passenger side,” the complaint indicates.

The impact of this collision “knocked the truck back onto the road and it was coming at (the police vehicle) and just missed the drivers’ side of (it),” according to the complaint.

The truck then continued along Cornplanter Hill Road, nearly striking another vehicle, where other police continued the pursuit along East Avenue and Seneca Hill, but were unable to locate the vehicle, the complaint states.

Police were able to identify Fenstermaker as the driver by viewing the photograph from his drivers’ license.

Court documents say Fenstermaker faces the following charges:

  • Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Officer
  • Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
  • Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicle, Summary
  • Careless Driving
  • Reckless Driving
  • Fail To Keep Right
  • Exceed 25 MPH Residence Dist. By 1 MPH
  • Driving at Safe Speed
  • Driving While Operator’s Privileges Suspended Or Revoked
  • Driving W/O A License
  • Acci. Dam To Unattended Vehicle Or Property
  • Improper Child Restraint System

Online court documents indicate Fenstermaker was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish on June 26.

Unable to post $25,000.00 cash bail, he was placed in the Venango County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on July 1 in Venango County Central Court in front of Judge Fish.


Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.

Category: Uncategorized