Raquan Knight, 19, of Hartford Connecticut was arrested Wednesday in Barton for trafficking fentanyl and possessing crack cocaine after he fled police on I-91 in the Northeast Kingdom at over 120 MPH, state police said.

At about 5 pm on Wednesday, July 13, a state trooper observed a red Dodge Charger being operated in a reckless manner on Main Street in Newport. The trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, however the operator fled at high speeds and in a grossly negligent manner through afternoon traffic. The trooper did not pursue the vehicle, which was initially last seen traveling east into Derby.

The fleeing vehicle passed several other troopers in the towns of Brownington, Orleans, and then Barton, where it was seen traveling south on I-91 from Orleans at speeds well in excess of 120 MPH. The vehicle was not engaged in pursuit.

The vehicle was finally observed by a trooper traveling on Rte-16 in Barton, where immediately upon sight of the trooper, the operator turned around and crashed into a field. The occupants of the vehicle fled the scene on foot into a wooded area.

Officers from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Dept, and a K9 unit from the Newport Police Department responded to the scene. A K9 track was commenced, and the occupants were shortly thereafter located in the woods off of Route 16 and taken into custody without incident. A quantity of suspected crack cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana was also located at the scene.

The operator was identified as the accused. He was medically evaluated as a precaution and processed at the VSP Derby Barracks. He was ordered held on $50,000 bail as well as conditions of release. Any other party involved has been identified as a juvenile, and no further information would be available.