19 Year-Old Philly Man Charged for Fleeing State Police on I-95

A 19-year-old Philadelphia man sped past a Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) patrol on I-95 N and when police gave chase he decided the most effective way to lose them was to turn off his lights during the pursuit.

On-call District Judge Gary Gambardella arraigned Jose Pagan III for attempting to elude an officer and several traffic-related offenses.

Gambardella set bail at 10 percent of $10,000.00. Pagan III was remanded to County Jail and released on January 30 when a court order removed the bail amount.

According to the PSP, the chase began when the grey sedan Pagan III  was driving sped past a Pennsylvania State Trooper on I-95N in Philadelphia at approximately 12:04 a.m. January 28, 2026. The vehicle registered in PA as MZP775B failed to stop, despite police attempts, leading to a pursuit.

The driver, later identified as Pagan III, allegedly turned off the vehicle’s lights while fleeing. He committed numerous traffic violations as he exited Woodhaven Road and sped through residential areas. He eventually crashed at the intersection of Knights Road and Byberry Road in Bensalem, police said in the affidavit.

Pagan III and another adult unidentified male were arrested.

The vehicle was towed after the registration did not match the displayed plate number. He was transported back to the P5P-Trevoss Station for fingerprinting and processing, said police.

Pagan III waived his preliminary hearing scheduled for this past Thursday. He will appear in Doylestown to be formally arraigned on March 13. He is currently represented by the Public Defender’s Office, according to online court records.