NORTH BERWICK, Maine — The two men who were arrested after being involved in a high-speed chase early Tuesday morning are back across the border to face robbery charges.

Patrick Saunders, 18, of Somersworth, N.H., and Allan Nicholson, 30, of Milton, N.H., were both charged with felony aggravated reckless conduct, eluding police and being fugitives from justice in connection with a robbery at a Gulf Station on Route 108 in Somersworth.

Somersworth Police Capt. Russell Timmons said officers responded to the gas station — at 420 Route 108 — at 2 a.m. after receiving a report that two men entered the store, threatened to stab the clerk and left with an undisclosed quantity of cash and cartons of cigarettes.

“The charges in New Hampshire will be specific to the robbery,” Timmons said, adding police continue to investigate the robbery.

Timmons said the two men allegedly took “a substantial amount of cigarettes which was mostly Marlboros and Newports” before quickly leaving the store. He added they allegedly drove off in a dark-colored “Nineties” vintage Chevrolet Blazer, which was seen turning onto Haven Hill Road.

Timmons said a Somersworth officer spotted the vehicle downtown and saw it cross across the state line into Berwick on Salmon Falls Road. He added that after driving through downtown Berwick, it turned onto Route 236.

Eventually, the vehicle made its way onto Route 9 and into North Berwick, where local officers pursued it.

Due to the early hour, North Berwick Police Chief Stephen Peasley said there was little other traffic on the roads, which helped prevent any other injuries.

“It was a high-speed chase, and they ended up crashing their car,” Peasley said, adding they wrecked their truck after striking a tree on Route 4 in Sanford.

Following the crash, Peasley said the men took off on foot. He added the department's canine team located the pair within 15 minutes.

Officers from Sanford assisted in the chase and search while Sanford firefighters responded to the accident, Peasley said.

Following the arrests, Maine police found evidence from the robbery in the vehicle, which was impounded, according to police.

Peasley said Saunders and Nicholson, who were held in York County Jail in Alfred after their arrest, were arraigned in York District Court Wednesday morning and were transferred to Strafford County Jail in Dover, N.H., that afternoon.
jquinn@newstote.com