Harrisburg man admits to 'shooting up heroin' before leading chase through two counties, police say

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP - A Harrisburg man is in Franklin County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bail after he allegedly led police on pursuit spanning two counties and then admitted to "shooting up heroin" and smoking synthetic marijuana several hours earlier.

Mitchell Graham Martz, 30, is charged with one count felony fleeing or attempting to elude officers, one count misdemeanor disorderly conduct and two counts misdemeanor driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and cited with multiple traffic violations, according to court records. He was arraigned early Saturday morning by Magisterial District Judge Glenn Manns. 

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A state police trooper was patrolling the area of Lincoln Way West and Warm Spring Road, when they noticed a light blue Chevrolet Cobalt in the Sunnyway Foods grocery store parking lot while the business was closed. The vehicle was driving erratically and authorities believed it may have struck a concrete pole, documents state, so they followed it as it traveled west. Troopers clocked the Chevrolet driving 72 mph in a 45 mph zone and saw it accelerate to 70 mph and then de-accelerate to 50 mph several times.

Police said the driver, identified as Martz, began to flee once they activated their sirens, causing him to unsafely change lanes, pass several other cars, drive into oncoming traffic lanes and reach speeds greater than 100 mph in a 35 mph and a 55 mph zone.  

A pit maneuver was used to stop Martz in Fulton County after an attempt to use spike strips and stop sticks in neighboring Peters Township was unsuccessful. Court documents show Martz then refused to cooperate with troopers' commands to lay on the ground and struggled with them, including at one point grabbing the handcuffs to prevent them from securing him. 

The distance from Sunnyway Foods to the Fulton County line is just over 16 miles on U.S. 30, according to Google Maps. Court documents do not state what roads Martz used. 

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Once Martz was taken into custody, officers found hypodermic needles laying on the car's floorboard on the driver's side and a freshly-used needle near the center console, along with alcoholic beverage containers, according to documents. Police said Martz's pupils appeared to be glassy and bloodshot, and it was also discovered he was wanted by state parole. 

Martz was taken to Chambersburg Hospital for a blood draw. 

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 27. 

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