Man crashes over hillside when fleeing officers in Mount Oliver, police said

MOUNT OLIVER, Pa. — A man is facing charges after police said he crashed a sedan over a hillside while trying to escape from officers in Mount Oliver.

According to court documents, Damian Preston, 22, was driving a red Cadillac sedan on Knox Avenue when police tried to pull him over because of a suspended registration on Saturday.

An officer reported smelling marijuana inside the vehicle when they approached. That officer said Preston showed them a blunt when they asked if he had been smoking. As a result, they asked him to get out.

Preston began to comply but quickly leaned back into the vehicle and started it. The officer grabbed him by the shoulders to try to stop him but said Preston hit the gas and sped forward while this was happening. The officer said he was nearly dragged.

Court documents said the vehicle traveled quickly down Brownsville Road before turning left onto Quincy Avenue.

At around 10:25 p.m., officers received a call about a vehicle that crashed over a hillside at the intersection of Quincy Avenue and Traverse Avenue. The vehicle crashed through a guard rail and dropped 15-20 feet down a hillside before hitting a tree.

Preston was not in the vehicle when officers arrived. They said they searched the surrounding area for him and found articles of clothing he had just been seen wearing scattered around the area, including a black puffy jacket with a patch on the shoulder. A pistol with a Glock switch was also found in the area. It appeared to have been thrown from the vehicle.

He was taken into custody in the 200 block of Linview Avenue.

More marijuana was also found on the driver’s side floorboard.

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