A Buchanan man is facing a number of charges after leading police on a high-speed chase in Niles Township Monday afternoon.
Taurean Travantei Young, 28, was arraigned Tuesday and charged with delivery of less than 50 grams of cocaine as a second offense, fleeing and eluding causing bodily injury, resisting arrest, driving with a suspended license as a second offense and felony probation violation.
The cocaine charge holds a 40-year maximum penalty.
The incident started when Berrien County police say Young delivered a quantity of crack cocaine to an undercover officer in Bertrand Township at 4:52 p.m. Monday. At that point members of the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department narcotics unit and road patrol attempted to apprehend Young, who took off north on Mayflower Rd. in a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu.
A 21-year-old Benton Township man was also inside the vehicle.
While fleeing police, Young failed to stop at the intersection of Mayflower and Niles-Buchanan Rd., causing the vehicle to crash through a guardrail and go airborne before striking a tree and rolling over.
Young fled on foot and was apprehended by Berrien County Sheriff Deputy Marc Hopkins and his K-9 partner, Diesel, following a brief pursuit.
Young’s passenger was ejected from the vehicle and transported to South Bend Memorial Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released.
Young was taken to Lakeland Hospital in Niles for treatment of minor injuries before being lodged in Berrien County Jail.
Berrien County police seized $1,250 worth of crack cocaine from Young during the investigation and $1,730 under the state’s civil forfeiture law.
The Michigan State Police and an accident reconstruction specialist handled the traffic crash investigation. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department was assisted at the scene of the traffic crash by the Michigan State Police, the Buchanan City Police Department and Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service.
A preliminary examination for Young will be scheduled in the next two weeks. Young has indicated he will hire his own lawyer to represent him.