Penobscot County police chase exceeds 100 mph, ends in crash

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff

A Charleston man allegedly drove faster than 100 mph during a 9-mile police chase that ended in a crash on Dec. 18.

Jermaine Killian, 27, was allegedly driving 70 mph on Broadway outside of Bangor when Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Cameron Fowler tried to pull him over. Killian sped away instead of stopping, according to court records. 

After about 9 miles, with speeds in excess of 100 mph, Killian crashed his car and Fowler arrested him, records said.

Killian, of Charleston, is charged with one felony count of eluding an officer and one misdemeanor count each of driving to endanger, failure to stop for an officer and violations of conditions of release in Penobscot County Superior Court. He had his first appearance Dec. 19.

Despite speeds higher than 100 mph at times, Fowler was unable to gain ground on Killian or read the vehicle’s license plate during the chase around 2:30 p.m., Fowler wrote in an affidavit. 

Killian was allegedly passing in the breakdown lane and making unsafe passes in the opposing lane, Fowler wrote. He tried turning off his lights and sirens but it only resulted in other cars not yielding, so Fowler said he turned them back on.

The vehicle crashed after Killian allegedly attempted to pass a minivan on the right side. He lost control and spun out across the road and ended up in a wooded area on the opposite side of the road near the Powerline Road in Corinth, the affidavit said.

After the crash, Fowler called for emergency medical service and approached the car with his gun drawn, the affidavit said. Killian got out of the car and was placed in handcuffs. He was bleeding from the arm but could walk.

The chase lasted about five minutes, all on Broadway from the Bangor town line to Corinth, the affidavit said.

This is the second high-speed chase Fowler has initiated that ended in a crash. Noah Mushero of Bangor and Sheena Soctomah-Rolfe of Orono, both 39, died in a crash on Finson Road following a chase by Fowler on July 22, 2024. The chase reached speeds higher than 80 mph.

The chase was determined to have followed the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office’s policies. 

Killian’s driving was “extraordinarily dangerous,” Penobscot County Assistant District Attorney Mercedes Gurney said. Police found marijuana, which Killian said was his, and a methamphetamine pipe, which he said was a friend’s, Gurney said.

He was driving on a suspended license and got scared, defense attorney Deven Soondar said. At the scene Killian told Fowler that he messed up and got scared, the affidavit said.

Killian was taken to the hospital for treatment before he was taken to the Penobscot County Jail, the affidavit said.

He appeared for court via video chat while wearing an arm sling. He was granted $1,000 bail.

The sheriff’s chase happened roughly two hours after Bangor police chased a man on part of the same stretch of Broadway. That chase averaged about 56 mph.