BELFAST — A Belfast man was indicted by a Waldo County Grand Jury July 12 on seven counts related to a high-speed chase that ended with him crashing into the living room of an occupied home.

Leonid Richter, 22, was charged with seven counts following the July 1 chase, which include criminal operating under the influence, eluding an officer, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, aggravated criminal mischief, driving to endanger, operating after suspension, and criminal speed.

The chase began around 1 a.m. when Belfast Police Officer Lew Dyer observed Richter’s vehicle run a stop sign at the intersection of Main and Front streets. Dyer wrote in his affidavit that he had his window rolled down and heard the truck accelerate at a high rate, at which point he activated his lights and siren and attempted to stop the vehicle.

Richter reportedly stayed a “good distance” ahead of Dyer throughout the chase, which ended up on Bayview Street, a small, “heavily populated,” residential street in downtown Belfast.

Dyer said he was traveling around 75 mph behind Richter’s vehicle, which he estimated to be traveling at 100 mph, allowing the vehicle to continue pulling away from him. The speed limit on Bayview Street is 25 mph.

Richter reportedly failed to stop at every stop sign between the start of the crash and its end, at the intersection of Bayview Street and Condon Street. Dyer wrote that he witnessed the vehicle brake briefly before striking a two-story residence, which he estimated was still traveling at 75 mph when it hit.

After arriving at the residence a few seconds after the vehicle crashed Dyer withdrew his weapon and watched Richter slide across the front seat and try to exit from the passenger side. He exited the truck and home after being ordered to do so by Dyer, who said Richter told him he wasn’t the one driving.

After placing Richter in handcuffs Dyer observed that the driver side door of the truck was pinned closed and no windows were broken on the vehicle, meaning the only exit was via the passenger side Richter used. Had someone attempted to flee via the second floor, they would have had to walk by the six family members that were in the home at the time of the incident, police said.

The homeowner walked down the stairs and into view around the same time Richter was placed in handcuffs, telling police that everyone was OK, though Dyer noted he could hear a female inside crying. The man told officers that he and his son had been in the living room 20 minutes prior to the crash, though at the time of the accident everyone was upstairs.

The home sustained an “extremely high amount of damage,” according to the report, including a broken foundation, and a rip in the floor exposing the basement, where broken water pipes left water flooding in. Wires were also down and the structure of the home was damaged.

Richter was first transported to Waldo County General Hospital to be medically cleared, after which he was booked into Waldo County Jail. 

Richter was also driving with a suspended license, which was the result of an earlier operating under the influence charge in February.

Richter’s arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 10 at Waldo County Unified Criminal Court.

 Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com