Three officers with the Montgomery Township Police Department were injured on New Year’s Day while attempting to apprehend a fugitive during a traffic stop on Bethlehem Pike.
Erica Matyok, 29, of Warminster, has been charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault and two felony counts of attempting to elude police, in addition to misdemeanor charges of simple assault, resisting arrest, possession of controlled substances, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, in connection with the incident.
According to the criminal complaint, police were on patrol in the area of Bethlehem Pike and Knapp Road at 12:35 a.m. on Jan. 1, when they encountered a maroon Hyundai Sonata allegedly traveling with its high beams on. Police began to follow the vehicle and noticed that the rear driver’s-side brake light was malfunctioning. Police continued to follow the vehicle through the Airport Square Shopping Center, before initiating a traffic stop at the intersection of Bethlehem Pike and Dekalb Pike.
Upon making contact with the driver—identified as Matyok—police noticed an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, and the report adds that two marijuana joints were observed inside the vehicle in plain view. While conducting a check for warrants, police learned that Matyok had an active arrest warrant in Bucks County for failure to appear for a DUI hearing.
The report states that police asked Matyok to exit the vehicle, at which point she refused and began to pull away. Then, as three officers attempted to take her into custody, Matyok allegedly put the car in drive and dragged all three officers across the roadway as she fled the scene. A high-speed pursuit ensued, though the pursuit was terminated shortly after due to public safety concerns.
Just before 1 a.m., police again encountered Matyok, this time at the intersection of Lansdale Avenue and Cowpath Road, according to the complaint. Once again, Matyok fled the scene at a high rate of speed, and police did not pursue. She was arrested at her home several days later.
Matyok was arraigned on Jan. 4 by Magisterial District Judge Andrea Hudak Duffy, who set bail at $50,000 cash. Matyok was then remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail. Her next scheduled court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Jan. 15 at 1:15 p.m. in front of Judge Andrea Hudak Duffy.
The three officers sustained contusions during the incident, though Montgomery Township Police Chief Scott Bendig said he was thankful that they were minor.
(All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
See also:
Police: Child Predator Caught By Undercover Operation In Towamencin
Lansdale Man Charged In Violent Assault Of Girlfriend
Police: Man Steals Vacation Money From Elderly Neighbor
Mother Charged With Felonies After Leaving Infants Home Alone
MTPD: Man Causes Three-Vehicle Accident, Arrested For Eighth DUI
