An 18-year-old man is in custody following a high-speed police chase early Friday morning ended with a stolen vehicle crashing into a café in Adams County, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
According to court documents, troopers attempted to stop a black 2013 Hyundai Elantra for an expired registration at 3:20 a.m. on the 1600 block of Carlisle Pike/Route 94 in Berwick Township. Police identified the driver as Hanover resident Jani Bordonada-Mercado, 18.
According to an affidavit, when troopers activated emergency lights and sirens, Bordonada-Mercado fled, sending cops on a chase that reached speeds of over 120 mph. The chase continued for almost seven miles down Carlisle Pike/Route 94.
The pursuit ended near the roundabout at Carlisle Pike/Route 94 and Stoney Point Road/Route 394 in Reading Township, Hampton. According to police, the vehicle drove into the center of the roundabout, struck a road sign, and then smashed into the Three Arrows Coffee Company and New Horizon Cafe, causing considerable damage and leaving a massive hole in the structure. According to officials, no one was inside the café when the crash occurred.
Bordonada-Mercado was apprehended and transferred to York Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police added. Investigators discovered that the vehicle had been recently stolen from a location near where the pursuit began.
He has been charged with escaping or attempting to avoid an officer, receiving stolen property, reckless driving, driving at an unsafe speed, necessary registration, and driving on traffic-laned roads.
Residents were warned to avoid the area on Friday morning while crews investigated and cleaned debris. The scene has subsequently been removed, and the road reopened. Pennsylvania State Police stated the incident is still being investigated.
The café, located at 5413 Carlisle Pike, has stated on social media that it will be closed until further notice owing to damage. Lindsey Forbes, a neighboring company owner, captured a portion of the incident on a security camera, including the sound of sirens followed by the moment of impact.
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