Woman with blown tire leads police chase to the front door of auto repair shop in Whitman

By Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondent

Police chased a woman driving a white Jeep today, looping through four South Shore towns until a flat tire ended the pursuit in Whitman.

Amanda Flores, 25, of East Bridgwater was arrested at the scene, said Whitman Deputy Police Chief Timothy Hanlon.

The chase began at 10:49 a.m. when an officer ran the registration plate of the white Grand Cherokee using his on-board computer system and discovered the plate did not match the vehicle, Hanlon said.

He said the vehicle belongs to Flores, but the license plate does not. Hanlon suspected that Flores put the license plates on her vehicle because of her suspended license and lack of registration and insurance.

When the officer attempted to pull Flores over, she fled.

Flores led police for 20 minutes through Whitman, Abington, and Brockton, before returning to Abington and Whitman, and heading through East Bridgewater, Hanlon said.

Flores sideswiped a 2012 Infiniti on Harvard Street in East Bridgewater and caused damage to the other car, he said. There were no injuries.

She then got a flat tire, which was likely caused by hitting a curb, Hanlon said.

Flores continued back to Whitman where the vehicle eventually stopped at Conlon’s Service Station located at 18 Temple St., Hanlon said.

Tommy Dentcliff was doing paperwork at his desk when the high speed police chase came to a movie-like conclusion at his auto repair shop.

“They had her on the ground and handcuffed before I could even get out of my chair,” he said.

Dentcliff said he first noticed the commotion when he heard the car’s steel rim clunking toward his shop. The vehicle stopped right in front of his door and Dentcliff noticed the front passenger-side rim had no tire.

With guns drawn, police grabbed the woman and put her facedown on the ground, he said.

Police took the woman into custody and had the vehicle towed, Dentcliff said. Officers remained on the property for 45 minutes to take pictures and collect evidence.

“There were a lot of bodies milling around,” Dentcliff said.

The 73-year-old Whitman native has worked at the repair shop since high school, taking a hiatus when he was drafted into the Army. He has owned the business for close to 40 years.

Dentcliff jokingly told police he wouldn’t be able to fix the woman’s blown tire.

“I was surprised she got as far as she did on the rim,” he said. “Nothing big will happen around here for a while. It’s a small town, so this is big news I guess.”

Flores is charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, failure to stop for police, number plate violation, operating an uninsured and unregistered vehicle, and crossing marked lanes. Hanlon said.

She was scheduled to be arraigned at Brockton District Court today.