Impaired Driver Led High-Speed Chase to Casino: Police

A Whitehall Township man allegedly led police on a high-speed chase from the Hill-to-Hill Bridge to the Sands Casino, according to court records.

Bradley McFarland, 23, of 214 Virginia Ave., was driving his gray Mazda 6 “at a high rate of speed” south across the bridge when the car made a sharp left turn from the right lane onto the Second Street ramp, according to arresting Bethlehem police Officer Christopher Kopp.

In an affidavit of probable cause, which described the incident that occurred at a little after midnight on May 29, Kopp wrote that he activated his emergency lights and siren and began to pursue McFarland’s car.

McFarland made a left turn from the Second Street ramp onto Third Street without stopping for a steady red light and then sped east on Third to Hayes Street, where he again went through a red light and made a U-turn, the affidavit said. Then the car turned north onto Founders Way and east onto First Street.

Kopp wrote that, at this point, he suspended the pursuit because McFarland had entered the Sands Casino Resort property. Police spotted the car in front of the casino where McFarland was getting out, the affidavit said.

Police commanded McFarland to get on the ground, which he did, police said.

“Upon speaking with McFarland, he appeared impaired on a drug or drugs and incapable of safe driving,” Kopp wrote. “McFarland continually rambled on about numerous different topics including a Russian invasion and an impending war.”

While conducting “an inventory search” of McFarland’s car, police found “a black and silver colored item, which appeared to have been used to process a green leafy substance,” the affidavit said.

A test of that green leafy substance produced a positive result for marijuana, the affidavit said. McFarland told police that his eyes were dilated because of “several prescription medications” that he was taking, police said.

McFarland was charged with fleeing/eluding police, a third-class felony, driving under the influence of drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and numerous summary traffic offenses.

He was arraigned Monday before District Judge Nancy Matos-Gonzalez and released on 10 percent of $20,000 bail.