Saugus Man Arrested After Highway Chase in Stolen Minivan

A Saugus man was arrested Thursday night after leading police on a highway chase that started at the Liberty Tree Mall and ended on Route 1 at the Lynn Fells Parkway.

A press release from state police spokesman David Procopio said the man -- Steven A. Mathis, 32, of Saugus -- was taken into custody without incident by troopers after he exited Route 1 and stopped the vehicle on the side of the road.

State police were first notified of the incident around 6:55 p.m. as Danvers police reported they were in pursuit of a stolen blue Dodge Caravan on I-95 and asked for assistance.

According to scanner transmissions, Danvers police initially responded to a report of an erratic operator at the mall and after running the license plate, discovered the minivan was stolen.

The chase reportedly started at the mall and the vehicle fled onto Collins Street and then Centre Street before heading south on I-95. Danvers cruisers chased the van as far as Route 1 South, at which point state troopers took over pursuit.

Procopio said Trooper Daniel Carideo intercepted the vehicle at the intersection of I-95 and Route 1 South and continued the chase down the southbound side of Route 1 through a light volume of traffic until the suspect exited onto the Lynn Fells Parkway in Saugus.
 
Procopio said exact charges were still being worked out Thursday night and no further information was available at that time.