POTTSTOWN PA – Pottsgrove School District administrators announced Pottsgrove High School was locked down early Wednesday morning (Sept. 15, 2010), and its students were kept inside the building, as Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township police responded to what reportedly began as a domestic assault on Ivy Lane and later turned into a crash-ridden chase that ended in Collegeville PA.

Pottsgrove High School, Kauffman Road, as seen from the north.

A notice posted on several pages of the district website reported the lock-down was prompted by first an assault at a home; followed by the alleged theft of a car and a subsequent accident at Buchert Road and North Keim Street. Other reports said those incidents were followed by the alleged theft of a second vehicle, a subsequent chase down Ridge Pike into Lower Providence (PA) Township and Collegeville, and at least one other accident.

The male suspect, who was identified late Wednesday as Jason William Pollock, ultimately was arrested by Collegeville police after a short chase on foot. He was taken to a medical facility for treatment of his injuries, and later was jailed on multiple charges at $500,000 bail.

The 7:30 a.m. lock-down was lifted about 90 minutes later when, as the district notice said, Pottsgrove had received “confirmation of the location and capture of the suspects.”

Lower Pottsgrove and Ringing Rocks elementary schools – the former located on Buchert Road, and the latter temporarily on North Keim Street – both were in areas that normally would also have been affected by the lock-down order, according to the district. However, both opened later than the high school and after the police action ended.

All three schools either began or resumed “a normal schedule” shortly after, the district notice declared.

Other resources for this story (updated Thursday, Sept. 16, at 6:05 a.m.):

• Man In Custody After Wild Police Chase (WFMZ-TV, Allentown PA)
• Police Tie String Of Events To One Suspect (WFMZ-TV, Allentown PA)
• Police: Man Crashed 2 Stolen Cars, Tried To Lure Kids (WPVI-TV, Philadelphia PA)
• Crime Spree Suspect Charged, Awaiting Arraignment (The Mercury, Pottstown PA)

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