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Man charged after high-speed chase, flipping car in West Penn

West Penn Township police have charged an Allentown man who led them on a chase at speeds of up to 120 mph before flipping his car onto its roof in a front yard.

Daniel Leibenguth, 44, faces a preliminary hearing before District Judge James R. Ferrier at 10 a.m. April 18 on charges of robbery of a motor vehicle; theft by unlawful taking-movable property; criminal mischief/damage property; fleeing or attempting to elude an officer; unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; recklessly endangering another person; reckless driving; and careless driving.He remains in Schuylkill County jail under $50,000 cash bail.According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Officer Harry E. Brown, on Feb. 15 he responded to a report of a green Subaru Outback stolen from 551 West Penn Pike (Route 309).About 10 minutes later, Brown saw the car heading south in the 1900 block of West Penn Pike.When Brown turned on his lights and sirens, Leibenguth hit the gas pedal, fleeing Brown at speeds of up to 120 mph as he passed vehicles on double yellow lines and running oncoming vehicles off the road.The pursuit ended when Leibenguth went off the road and flipped the car in a yard at 6760 Route 309 south.He got out of the car and ran into the woods, fields, and golf course behind the house, with Brown chasing and calling for him to stop.Leibenguth was eventually caught, and taken to a hospital for evaluation.The car’s owner, David Barron, said he had just stopped and gotten out of the car when Leibenguth jumped into it and took off. Barron said he jumped through one of the windows to try to stop Leibenguth, who just kept driving, injuring Barron.