A Pottsville man is facing numerous charges after leading police on an off-road pursuit on his dirt bike earlier this year. Once he was caught, police say the man was holding several illicit substances, including one that contained LSD, cocaine, and ketamine.
Police say Steven Donton, 44, was driving an unregistered dirt bike on York Farm Rd. on the evening of March 14. When police saw that his dirt bike was not street legal, they decided to initiate a traffic stop.
Rather than stop for police, Donton allegedly decided to try and outrun them. Donton sped up and turned on to N. 16th St. Police say they lost sight of Donton but eyewitnesses in the area pointed in direction Donton fled so police continued their pursuit.
Donton drove in the direction of the power lines off Walter Griffith Ave. Police gave chase, driving onto the access road to the power lines, where they were able to catch up to Donton, still on his dirt bike.
The road eventually ended but Donton allegedly kept riding. Police say they exited a patrol vehicle and decided to continue the pursuit on foot for several hundred feet.
Donton crashed his dirt bike at the bottom of the mountain on which he was fleeing. When police finally caught up to him, they say he was standing over the dirt bike and then taken into custody.
A search of his person, revealed the reason he likely ran in the first place. Police say they found resealable baggies that contained suspected marijuana, several more baggies and that contained what was believed to be meth, and a single baggie that had an orange substance in it. Drug paraphernalia was also discovered during the search, police say.
Results of lab tests on the substances found during the search of Donton reportedly revealed that the orange substance tested positive for the presence of LSD, cocaine, and ketamine.
Charges against Donton were filed with District Magistrate Judge James Reiley last week. He’s been charged with four misdemeanor counts of possession of an controlled substance and misdemeanor offenses of marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and eluding police.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 14.
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