A Maine man wanted by police on child sexual assault charges escalated the manhunt Monday with a car chase in an attempt to evade authorities, but he ended up dead.
Late Monday afternoon, the late Joshua Burdine, 32, of Strong, Maine, was charged with sexually assaulting a minor in Farmington, Maine, and attempted to evade police by fleeing the area. However, this amounted to a “low-speed” car chase. NECN report. Burdine’s not-so-hot pursuit with the Maine State Police did not last long, and the car chase came to a screeching halt when Burdine drove his car over a spike strip and then crashed into a tree, killing him.
JUST IN: A Farmington, Maine, man being pursued by police on suspicion of sexually assaulting a child died Monday when his car went over a spike strip and crashed into a tree, police said. https://t.co/yrqHgxsWyF
— NECN (@NECN) March 26, 2024
Local police received a report of an alleged sexual assault of a minor, prompting authorities to attend the farm where the incident allegedly occurred. (Related: Suspected kidnapper bites 6-year-old child and escapes safely)
However, Burdin fled before deputies arrived on the premises.
Police immediately identified the 32-year-old as the prime suspect due to the alleged sudden departure.
About an hour later, a sheriff’s deputy saw Burdine behind the wheel of a car on a road in his hometown. (Related: Drunk, sword-wielding man in Maine arrested after hours-long standoff with police: Report)
The officer tried to pull Burdin over, but he did not respond, the report said. Troopers described the pursuit as a “low-speed” pursuit that eventually headed toward Farmington.
Once this was revealed, Farmington police anticipated the direction Burdine was coming from and attempted to prevent him from escaping further.
Farmington police laid spike strips on the town’s dilapidated central road in anticipation of Burdin’s arrival. NECN concluded that Burdin drove directly over the spike strip and then crashed into a tree, completely losing control, all resulting in a fatal head-on collision.
always remember # Fasten your seat belt https://t.co/yoWRsoZzHK
— Maine State Police (@MEStatePolice) February 23, 2024
The child sexual abuse suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
