Mahanoy City Man Taken into Custody After Leading Shenandoah Police in Pursuit

A Mahanoy City man was taken into custody after leading police in a pursuit earlier this week.

According to Shenandoah Police, on Thursday, July 23rd, 2020 around 11:30pm, Officers William Moyer and Adam Sajone observed a motorcycle traveling Southbound on State Route 924 leaving Shenandoah. 

As the motorcycle traveled on Route 924, the officers observed that the operator was driving on the right side of the fog line on the shoulder of the road. A check of the Pennsylvania Registration on the motorcycle also returned as a dead tag.

The Officers attempted to stop the motorcycle on the Gold Star Highway/Route 924 near the entrance to Pioneer Road. The operator of the motorcycle pulled to the right side of the road and stopped, then looked back at officers, accelerated and fled south on Route 924 towards Frackville.

The operator then crossed into the oncoming lane of travel before crossing back over to the southbound lane and taking the Gilberton off ramp.

Shenandoah Police were able to take the operator, Matthew Lee Ketchledge, 34, of Mahanoy City into custody after he laid the bike down in the area of the Gilberton breaker.

Ketchledge was found to have 2 active warrants from the Schuylkill County Detective officer for failure to appear for court.

He was also found to be in possession of a handgun and methamphetamine.

Ketchledge was transported to Schuylkill County Prison for the two the bench warrants.

Shenandoah Police charged Ketchledge with Possession of a firearm,  firearms not to be carried without a license, fleeing or attempting to elude police, flight to avoid apprehension, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and 6 other vehicle code violations.

Ketchledge was later released Friday from Schuylkill County Prison and the Shenandoah Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest on the charges from the pursuit incident.

On Saturday, July 25th around 9:00pm, State Troopers from the Frackville barracks located Ketchledge in Mahanoy City and took him into custody.

Ketchledge was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Farrier and locked up in Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $10,000 straight cash bail.