Deputies say a 44-year-old Belmont man was arrested after a high speed chase on State Route 14 Sunday morning.
Dan A. Middaugh, 44, was charged with unlawfully fleeing police, reckless operation, speeding, unsafe passing and failure to comply after the incident, which was reported by the Sheriff’s Office.
It all began when deputies received a report of a suspicious person on the Freedom Village campus, who had a machete – and was making threats about Russians and a dirty bomb. The comments alarmed staff who locked down campus, and when contacted by law enforcement Middaugh fled the scene and headed north.
Middaugh, traveling at speeds up to 100 miles per hour for 12 miles, committed numerous vehicle and traffic offenses, causing other vehicles to leave the road to avoid collisions.
Deputies and Penn Yan Police officers staged stop sticks at state route 14 near the State Route 54 intersection. He stopped his vehicle on the bridge south of the intersection, but would not open window or exit his vehicle as directed.
Middaugh had a hatchet in his hands, but officers were able to secure Middaugh without injury to himself or others.
A New York State Police bomb dog cleared both the vehicle and the Freedom Village campus with no explosives found.
