Police say car exceeded 115 mph as it was pursued
A Lehighton man has been charged with endangering the welfare of children and other counts after police say he led them on a high speed pursuit.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Salvador Melo of the Pennsylvania State Police, Lehighton barracks, in the case against Edward Kleintop:
At 12:14 p.m. March 13, Melo was on patrol traveling in the area of Route 209 at its intersection with Canal Street, Franklin Township, when he observed a blue Chevrolet Cobalt stopped in the southbound lane of Canal Street and identified the driver as Kleintop, 53.
On March 12, information had been distributed with Kleintop’s photo and a photo of the vehicle stating that Kleintop was actively wanted for felony crimes. It listed Kleintop as the known operator of the vehicle.
Melo also saw that a woman was the front seat passenger seat and a juvenile male was in the backseat.
As Melo maneuvered his patrol vehicle to get behind the car, it began driving at a high rate of speed onto Route 248 eastbound. Melo attempted to initiate a traffic stop south of Bridge Street.
While the emergency lights and sirens were activated, the car accelerated, failing to yield to Melo’s emergency signals.
As he was passing the car, Melo noticed it to be driving in excess of 115 mph for over three-tenths of a mile, and that the car also failed to maintain its lane and changed lanes without signaling.
Due to the passengers in the car and the high speed the car was traveling, the pursuit was terminated for the safety of the passengers and the public.
Kleintop faces charges of two counts of reckless endangerment, and one count each of flight to avoid apprehension, endangering the welfare of children, fleeing or attempting to elude officer, careless driving, reckless driving, turning movements and required signals and maximum speed limits.
He is currently jailed in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $25,000 straight bail and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing March 26 before District Judge William J. Kissner of Palmerton.