Crawford man charged after broken tail light sets off pursuit through parts of Erie County

A nonworking tail light and an attempted traffic stop set off a high-speed pursuit late Saturday night that traveled from Wesleyville and through two neighboring municipalities until a tree ended the suspect's run in Summit Township, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

A Crawford County man accused of driving the fleeing vehicle is now facing a host of criminal charges and traffic offenses.

Tyler J. Pisarchick, 30, of Conneautville, was jailed on $25,000 bond following his arraignment Sunday on charges including felony fleeing and aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering and resisting arrest. He also faces numerous summary counts of failing to stop at stop signs and red lights during the pursuit, which began shortly before midnight Saturday on Buffalo Road near Cumberland Road in Wesleyville.

According to state police in Erie, two troopers on patrol spotted a vehicle with an inoperable driver side tail light and followed it into a gas station parking lot in Wesleyville. The driver fled as one of the troopers exited his patrol vehicle, according to information in Pisarchick's criminal complaint.

Troopers wrote that Pisarchick's vehicle led police on a high-speed pursuit through Wesleyville, Erie and Millcreek Township and into Summit Township. During the pursuit, the fleeing vehicle went through numerous stop signs and red lights, repeatedly drove in the opposing lane of traffic, and followed some vehicles too closely as it attempted to get around them, according to information in the complaint.

As the pursuit traveled south on Peach Street, troopers said Pisarchick weaved across several lanes of traffic and swerved toward the troopers' patrol vehicle and toward a state police corporal's vehicle in an attempt to cause them to crash.

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State police said the pursuit ended when Pisarchick attempted to turn left from Robison Road onto Northcrest Drive in Summit Township and struck a tree. Pisarchick exited his vehicle and attempted to flee but was caught and taken into custody, troopers wrote in the complaint. There were no reported injuries in the incident.

Pisarchick is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on May 7. A lawyer for him was not listed on his criminal docket sheet.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.