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From Mirror staff reports
Two Philadelphia men face charges after a high-speed chase on the Pennsylvania Turnpike resulted in a crash Sunday afternoon.
According to court documents, a state police trooper was using radar on the westbound lanes of the turnpike at 6 p.m. when a white Kia Soul was clocked at 95 mph in a 70 mph zone about one mile east of Breezewood.
The trooper activated his lights and siren and pulled out behind the Kia, which traveled onto the rumble strip and then accelerated, according to the police report. The Kia continued west at speeds of 80 mph to 108 mph, the report states, before attempting to exit the turnpike at the Bedford interchange and crashing into the tollbooth.
The driver of the Kia was identified as Amir Hassan Price, 21, and the front seat passenger was Sahir Ford, 18, police reported.
While clearing the vehicle of occupants, officers noticed a pistol in the center console between the front seats. The pistol was loaded with one round in the chamber, according to court documents. The gun had no serial number and no one in the vehicle had a permit to carry the gun, police said. In addition, marijuana residue was found throughout the vehicle, police reported.
Price was arraigned Monday by Magisterial District Judge Kathy S. Calhoun and faces felony charges of receiving stolen property, firearms not to be carried without a license and fleeing or attempting to elude an officer. In addition, Price faces three misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and single misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and DUI of controlled substance, along with three summary counts of disregarding traffic lane, two summary counts of following to closely, three summary counts of failure to use turn signals and single summary counts of criminal mischief-damaging property, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, exceeding speed limit by 25 mph, careless driving and violating rules of the turnpike commission.
Unable to post $75,000 bail, Price was remanded to the Bedford County Correctional Facility.
Ford, who has had prior gun charges in Philadelphia, also was arraigned Monday by Calhoun and faces a felony charge of possessing a loaded pistol without a license. Ford was also arraigned on a misdemeanor charge of possessing a small amount of marijuana and a summary charge of carrying a loaded weapon.
He was unable to post $50,000 cash bail and is being held in the Bedford County Correctional Facility.
Both Price and Ford are to appear for preliminary hearings March 9 in Bedford County Central Court.