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Chase results in drug charges

Skupine allegedly fled traffic stop; tried to ditch paraphernalia

A Huntingdon County man arrested after a chase in Blair County allegedly tried to ditch drugs and had a homemade shotgun, according to police.

Dylan J. Skupine, 29, of Hunt­ingdon was taken into custody early Sunday after he allegedly fled a traffic stop in Hollidaysburg and led police on a chase along about a dozen miles of back roads, several miles of which were driven on tires flattened by police spike strips.

According to charges filed by Hollidaysburg Borough police Officer Richard Oldham, Skupine was spotted pulling into Sheetz at 1300 Blair St. just after midnight in a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that had an expired registration and insurance along with a broken out back window.

When Skupine pulled onto Blair Street and the officer tried to pull him over, Skupine allegedly sped along Route 22 before he turned onto Reservoir Road. Police said Skupine was driving on both sides of the road as he traveled down Reservoir Road and onto River Road. After he turned the truck onto Loop Road and then left onto Reservoir Road, police from Freedom and Greenfield townships were called in to assist by placing spike strips where Reservoir Road intersects with Woodbury Pike.

Skupine drove over the spike strips and onto the Woodbury Pike without stopping. Police noted Skupine reached speeds of 80 mph as he drove along Route 36 toward Roaring Spring.

Police said Skupine turned left onto Plum Creek Road and then headed onto Weitzel Hill Road, where he lost the tread of his right front tire. It was at the intersection of Weitzel Hill and Plum Creek roads that officers saw Skupine toss a blue bag from the truck.

Police said Skupine then drove up an embankment and stopped. Both he and his female passenger were ordered out of the truck at gunpoint and taken into custody.

According to police, Skupine had a gold-colored marijuana pipe in his pocket and told officers he fled because he had no driver’s license and had drugs. Police said he had $170 in his wallet.

A search of the blue bag that was thrown from the truck allegedly turned up two syringes, 2.5 grams of methamphetamine, 3.8 grams of pot and two empty Suboxone strip packets.

Inside the truck, officers allegedly found brass knuckles, several shotgun rounds and a homemade shotgun fashioned from a metal pipe. A piece of an orange pill was found on the passenger seat that Skupine allegedly indicated was Suboxone, police added.

Skupine is charged with fel­ony counts of fleeing po­lice and possession with in­tent to deliver a controlled substance along with misdemeanor charges that in­clude prohibited offensive weapon and drug possession. Skupine also faces a half-dozen traffic violations, including driving on a suspended license and fraudulent use of a registration plate.

Bail was set Sunday by Magisterial District Judge Daniel DeAntonio at $15,000 cash, and Skupine remains in Blair County Prison with a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 30 in Hollidays­burg District Court.

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