Lower Burrell police accuse Arnold man of driving 85 mph in a 35 mph zone, fleeing police

An Arnold man faces felony charges after Lower Burrell police accused him of speeding away from police who tried to pull his truck over early this month.

James Dean Chiappetta, 54, is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, driving under the influence, reckless driving and other charges. His preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 17 before District Justice Cheryl Peck Yakopec.

The charges stem from an Oct. 3 incident when a Lower Burrell policeman saw Chiappetta’s pickup truck speeding on Leechburg Road near Rita Drive, according to his arrest papers.

Police turned their car around and proceeded to catch up to Chiappetta.

At one point, police and Chiappetta were traveling at least 80 mph in a 35 mph zone.

When police turned on their emergency lights and siren, Chiappetta slammed on the brakes, then sped away again on Leechburg Road, police said. The truck finally pulled over near Eastern Drive, according to police.

Police conducted a field sobriety test; Chiappetta refused to take a blood test. He was arrested, processed and released.

In the last five years, police pursuit rates have been steady at about 1,800 pursuits a year in the commonwealth, however, there was an uptick in 2019 with 1,988 pursuits, according to state records. So far this year, there have been 1,652 police pursuits, according to state police.

In 2020, DUI or suspected DUIs account for 171 police pursuits, the second highest reason for police to pursue, according to state police analysis. The top reason was felony criminal offenses, which stands at 193 chases, so far this year.

In general, a number of factors are considered when police decide to pursue a car chase, said Ryan Tarkowski, spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Police in Harrisburg.

“Officers take the safety of all involved including the public, the offenders and the pursuing police officers,” he said. The weather, time of day, traffic conditions and the presence of a nearby school zone are all considerations as well.

Attempts to reach Chiappetta for this story were unsuccessful.