White River Junction
The Claremont Police Department pursued the vehicle operated by Wayne Keough around 3:45 a.m. because he was the suspect in an armed carjacking at Wal-Mart over the weekend, Claremont Police Chief Mark Chase said. Vermont State Police took over when the chase hit the New Hampshire/Vermont border on Route 12.
Keough continued south on Interstate 91 before crashing near the intersection of Main and South streets in Springfield, Vermont State Police said in a news release. Keough resisted arrest, forcing officers to deploy their stun guns, according to a separate release from an official at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield.
Keough was on escape status from that prison at the time of the chase. Personnel transported Keough to Springfield Hospital for evaluation after the incident, and then took him to the Springfield jail.
Keough is being held on bail pending his arraignment today in Windsor Superior Court on charges of driving under the influence, gross negligent operation, attempting to elude, resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license in connection with the chase.
Keough also faces charges in New Hampshire related to the carjacking, and warrants have been provided to Vermont authorities, Chase said. He faces counts of felony robbery and reckless conduct.
“Mr. Keough has a number of charges in Vermont at this time where he is being held and it is the intention of the state of New Hampshire that when Keough has completed his sentence that he be held and returned to the State of New Hampshire to answer to these charges and any others that are filed against him,” Chase wrote in a news release.
The incident began to unfold late Friday night when someone assaulted a Wal-Mart employee in the parking lot. Based on video camera footage on scene, police believed Keough was the suspect, Chase said. Keough allegedly overtook the man, grabbed his keys and stole his vehicle.
Officers searched for Keough throughout the weekend and found him operating a 1999 Jeep Cherokee in Claremont early Monday morning. The pursuit started when Keough failed to stop for an officer.
The vehicle he allegedly took in the carjacking wasn’t the Jeep Cherokee, Chase said, and investigation is ongoing into whether he lawfully acquired that vehicle.
Keough has an extensive criminal record, and was most recently committed to the Vermont Department of Corrections in November 2015. He was on re-entry furlough status at the time of the chase for several convictions, including aggravated domestic assault, simple assault on a law enforcement officer and escape or walkaway.
His maximum release date from supervision was January 2020.
He was placed on escape status in the beginning of March after community corrections officers said he failed to abide by residence and curfew restrictions, according to an affidavit filed in his escape case.
When the affidavit was filed on March 9, the corrections department didn’t know of Keough’s whereabouts.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.