Crime & Safety
Motorcyclist Allegedly Pops Wheelies, Speeds in View of Police
Andrew Lewis Bauman, 37, of Hanover Township (Northampton County), allegedly fled Colonial Regional Police on his motorcycle after popping wheelies and traveling at speeds that topped 80 mph.
A man on a motorcycle whooshed down Hanoverville Road Wednesday morning at more than 80 mph, pulled two “wheelies” and passed a vehicle on the left just before the crest of a hill.
And all of that action on the roadway was observed by a police officer in an unmarked car, court records say.
The officer -- actually the deputy chief of the force -- activated his lights and siren, caught up with the cyclist and at one point yelled at him to stop and pull over. But the cyclist fled at a high rate of speed.
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He then went through two stop signs but was eventually stopped by another officer.
Andrew Lewis Bauman, 37, of the 1000 block of Orchard Lane, Hanover Township (Northampton County), is facing a charge of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and other crimes.
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According to the criminal complaint filed by James DePalma, the deputy chief was westbound on Hanoverville Road around 11 a.m. when he saw the cycle, a 2006 KTM, also going west and pulling its first wheelie. It passed the vehicle near the hill and continued at more than 80 mph in a 45-mph zone before pulling another wheelie.
DePalma caught up with the cycle at the intersection with Township Line Road. The cyclist looked back at DePalma and continued on Jaindl Blvd., which forks off to the northwest.
The cyclist got caught up in stopped traffic, again looked back, then made a U-turn. DePalma yelled at him to stop and pull over, but he fled at a high rate of speed.
DePalma made his own U-turn to follow the cycle, and watched as it went through stop signs at Jaindl and Township Line and Township Line and Hanoverville. It continued south on Township Line at a high rate of speed but was eventually stopped by another Colonial Regional officer.
In addition to the fleeing and eluding charge, Bauman was charged with reckless driving, stop signs and yield signs, and driving vehicle at safe speed. He was arraigned Wednesday afternoon by District Judge Jackie Taschner of PalmerTownship and released after posting $3,500 bail.
