Sara Stapleford, 20, of Londonderry

HUDSON – Police said Thursday that a 20-year-old Londonderry woman wanted in connection with a high-speed pursuit that ended in a crash last week has turned herself in to police.

Sara Stapleford was driving east on Central Street the evening of May 14 when a Hudson officer, after determining through a DMV database search that the car’s registered owner had a suspended drivers license, attempted to pull the car over.

But police said that instead of pulling over, the driver, later identified as Stapleford, allegedly “fled at a high rate” of speed from the officer.

He pursued the vehicle, a 2009 Audi A5, police said, and when the pursuit neared the Windham town line, the officer reported the driver “continued traveling at a high rate of speed … and in an extremely reckless manner, by (allegedly) traveling into oncoming traffic in an effort to pass other cars in its lane,” police said.

The officer broke off the pursuit once it crossed into Windham, police said, adding that the officer observed the Audi allegedly “continuing at a high rate of speed.”

About 10 minutes later, police said, Windham police notified Hudson that the Audi had just been involved in a crash in their town.

The officer responded to the scene, where police said he identified the driver as Stapleford. Police subsequently issued a warrant for Stapleford’s arrest, and said she surrendered herself Wednesday to Hudson police.

Police didn’t elaborate on why Stapleford was apparently not arrested when the officer identified her at the scene of the crash.

Upon turning herself in Wednesday, Stapleford was charged with one count each of disobeying a police officer, driving with a suspended license, and reckless driving, police said.

She was booked and later released on personal recognizance bail pending arraignment, which is scheduled for June 19 at Nashua district court.

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Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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