High-speed chase in Union County leads to charges for four Brooklyn teens

Feb. 2—A teenager from New York without a license allegedly led police on a high-speed chase in White Deer Township this week, reaching speeds between 100 and 125 mph, according to state police at Milton.

Keston Montana Ogbemudia, 18, of Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y, and three teenaged passengers of the vehicle were allegedly found with brass knuckles, a small amount of marijuana and multiple drug packages when police finally stopped the vehicle by forcing it to spin out on Route 147, police said.

Ogbemudia was charged with a felony count of fleeing; four misdemeanor counts of possessing an offensive weapon, possessing marijuana, possessing drug paraphernalia and recklessly endangering another person; and 13 summary counts, including careless and reckless driving, speeding and driving without a license. The charges were filed by state Trooper Matthew Lesher, of the Milton State Police Barracks, in the Mifflinburg office of District Judge Jeffrey Mensch.

Two of Ogbemudia's passengers — Shamik William Padgett, 18, and Jaylen Saeed Taylor, 18, both of Brooklyn, N.Y. — were charged with three misdemeanor counts of possessing an offensive weapon, possessing marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia. A 17-year-old passenger from New York was charged through juvenile court.

Lesher reported he initiated a traffic stop at 4:49 p.m. Monday on Interstate 80 in White Deer Township for a driver in a silver 2023 Ford Explorer for a left lane and tint violation. The driver, later identified as Ogbemudia, initially pulled over to the right-hand shoulder, but then allegedly fled the scene, police said.

The vehicle continued westbound, passing vehicles on the shoulder, fluctuating lanes without signaling and accelerating at speeds more than 101 mph. The vehicle exited at the Mile Run exit, police said.

The vehicle reached speeds of 125 mph while driving erratically by changing lanes without signaling and driving among both lanes, police said. Spike strips were attempted at mile marker 206.5, but were unsuccessful. The vehicle continued eastbound and subsequently exited at mile marker 212 and took Route 147 southbound, police said.

The vehicle traveled south and exited at Industrial Park Road. It proceeded east and then turned southbound to take the off-ramp for Route 147 northbound, police said.

Lesher unsuccessfully attempted to force the vehicle into a spin — a PIT maneuver — before it traveled north and took the ramp for Industrial Park Road onto Route 147 northbound, police said.

The vehicle then turned west and went down a grassy embankment and proceeded southbound in the northbound lanes of Route 147. Numerous vehicles were coming northbound at this time, police said. Lesher attempted another maneuver which disabled the vehicle, police said.

All occupants were taken out of the vehicle and placed in custody without further incident. The driver, Ogbemudia, was allegedly not wearing a seatbelt, police said.

Multiple occupants were patted down and allegedly found to have marijuana. An odor of marijuana was detected inside the vehicle, and multiple packages of the drug were in plain view, police said.

Ogbemudia allegedly told police he fled because he did not have a license and he did not want to be stranded in Pennsylvania. He said he did not want to talk too much about the traffic stop and their travel plans, police said.

Ogbemudia allegedly said no one in the vehicle rented the vehicle and he would not provide information about who provided the vehicle to them, police said.

Padgett and the juvenile allegedly said they each had one bag of marijuana. No one else took ownership of the additional bags or brass knuckles, police said.

Ogbemudia, Padgett and Taylor were all arraigned by Mensch on Monday. Ogbemudia was released on $15,000 cash bail on Wednesday through Professional Bondsman Thaddeus Smith, of Milton, and Padgett and Taylor were both released on $10,000 unsecured bail.

All three teenagers are scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 27 in front of Mensch.