By Tiffany Williams –
Chaos erupted on the streets of Worcester Saturday night when a routine traffic stop spiraled into a dangerous chase involving a ghost gun, a fleeing suspect, and damaged police cruisers.
According to Worcester Police, officers attempted a traffic stop around 7:49 p.m. on March 7 after spotting a driver who failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. Officers pulled the vehicle over near Millbury Street and Fifth Avenue.
The driver identified himself as twenty-two-year-old Carlos Ketter of Worcester and admitted he did not have a valid driver’s license.
What happened next turned a simple stop into a high-risk pursuit.
Police say moments later Ketter suddenly sped off, taking off at a high rate of speed and driving recklessly through multiple streets. The chase escalated when he exited his vehicle on Fox Street and ran from officers.
But the danger didn’t stop there.
Investigators say Ketter failed to put the vehicle in park before fleeing, causing the car to roll and slam into two Worcester Police cruisers.
Officers immediately gave chase on foot.
During the pursuit, police say officers saw Ketter throw an object onto the offramp by I-290. Officers caught up to him moments later and placed him in handcuffs.
What police recovered next raised the stakes dramatically.
Officers located a firearm in the area where Ketter was seen tossing the object. Investigators later determined the weapon was a ghost gun — a firearm with no serial number, making it untraceable.
Police say Ketter also did not have a license to carry or an FID Card.
Massachusetts State Police assisted Worcester officers by expanding the search of the area. During that search, authorities recovered a black magazine and loose ammunition.
The Worcester Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit took possession of the firearm as evidence.
Ketter now faces a long list of serious charges including Carrying a Firearm Without a License, Receiving an Untraceable Firearm, Improper Storage of a Firearm, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (x2), Unlicensed Operation of Motor Vehicle, Operating to Endanger, along with a number of other driving-related charges.
What began as a basic traffic violation ended with a foot chase, a ghost gun tossed toward a highway ramp, two damaged police cruisers, and a suspect now facing major criminal charges. Authorities continue to investigate the dangerous sequence that unfolded on Worcester’s streets.