Updated at 4:18 p.m.
An Enosburg man who was behind the wheel of a vehicle that struck and killed a motorcyclist in a head-on collision Thursday night faces a slew of charges, including his fourth offense of drunken driving, according to police.
Police allege Jason Combs, 45, was speeding away from a police cruiser that was trying to pull him over at the time of the crash.
Combs pleaded not guilty in Franklin County Superior criminal court in St. Albans on several charges, including the drunken driving charge, manslaughter, grossly careless and negligent operation with death resulting and attempting to elude police, according to court filings.
The charges stem from a crash around 8:30 p.m. Thursday on Shawville Road in Sheldon that killed Christopher J. Ryea, 53, of Enosburg, police said in the press release.
Ryea was traveling on his motorcycle east of Shawville Road when he was struck by Combs’ truck after it crossed the centerline, police said.
They said the crash took place less than 45 seconds after Trooper Andrew Underwood tried to pull the truck over on Route 78 for having a rear taillight out.
The trooper turned on his blue lights and sirens, police said, at which point Combs turned onto Shawville Road and sped away from the cruiser.
“Trooper Underwood followed the pickup truck while Combs quickly opened significant distance between himself and the trooper,” according to the release. “The truck failed to negotiate a righthand curve, crossed into the oncoming lane, and struck Ryea’s motorcycle head-on.”
Combs ran from the scene, police said, but the trooper chased him and caught him.
An initial investigation by the state police’s crash reconstruction team found speed and impairment to be factors in the crash.
Combs is being held without bail at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans pending another court hearing.