A Pottsville man is the suspect in a high-speed car chase ending in a mall parking lot with a single shot fired by state police.

Brian Chapman was named by State Trooper Kirk R. Vanim in a phone call April 30 as the driver who allegedly led police on a car chase ending in a front parking lot of Kohl's Department Store,Trexlertown. The event, as of April 30, was described by Vanim as "still under active investigation."

Debbie Garlicki, a spokesperson for Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin, told The Press as of April 30 no charges had yet been filed.

The case, however, was to be handled through the county's Auto Theft Task Force.

According to a press release from State Police Troop M Bethelem Lehigh County authorities notified troopers at 3:30 p.m. April 26 Emmaus police were pursuing a vehicle reported stolen from Allentown.

In a telephone message to The Press, an Emmaus police spokesperson said an Emmaus officer saw a vehicle run a stop sign at a high rate of speed at Second and Harrison streets in the borough on the afternoon of April 26.

The officer gave chase, realized it was the vehicle reported stolen from Allentown, and notified the county.

In an email to The Press, an eyewitness to the chase said he was driving on Lower Macungie Road, near the intersection with Brookside Road, when a vehicle, estimated as driving more than 60 mph, passed him "in the other lane despite an oncoming car.

"He missed that car and me by a foot or two."

Two police vehicles then passed the witness.

According to state police, troopers joined the pursuit in Lower Macungie Township.

The eyewitness reported seeing additional police vehicles.

Upper Macungie Township Police Lt. Pete Nickischer commented on his department's involvement in the chase.

"We did have an officer there but our assistance was minimal. The officer put out the spike strip across the road," Lt. Nickischer told The Press April 29.

The vehicle, described as a white pickup truck by police, crashed in the mall parking lot, according to police and the eyewitness.

The crash, wrote the witness, uprooted a tree and the truck's airbag deployed.

The driver fled on foot, according to police.

Emmaus police and two state troopers pursued on foot and the driver was taken into custody in the parking lot.

A trooper fired one shot during the incident, State Police Trooper Vanim confirmed by telephone.

According to the eyewitness, the crash, foot pursuit and apprehension lasted about a minute.

No one was injured, according to police.