PARIS — A man who led police on a 17-mile car chase before jumping into Lake Keoka in an escape attempt pleaded guilty to driving drunk with previous convictions. Charges of eluding police and driving to endanger were dismissed.

Christopher Beaulieu, 35, of Bethel, pleaded guilty to operating under the influence with three or more priors and aggravated operating after habitual offender revocation with priors, both Class C felonies.

He was sentenced to five years with all but 18 months suspended, followed by two years of probation. State law requires Beaulieu pay $2,100 in fines for the two offenses and lose his driver’s license for 6 years.

The charges also resulted in a revocation of a previous deferred disposition he received after pleading guilty to criminal trespass and assault. He was sentenced to nine months and 20 days, which will be served concurrently with his previous sentence.

Charges of eluding an officer, refusing to submit to arrest or detention and driving to endanger were dismissed Tuesday.

Beaulieu was arrested early in the morning on Sunday, Aug. 21 after a two-hour chase that began in Bethel and ended in Waterford.

Deputy Michael Parshall of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office said he received calls about a man who was denied entry to two bars and driving away. Parshall pulled behind the suspect’s vehicle, a GMC Denali, while it was parked on Railroad Street. As he called in the plate and prepared to approach the SUV, Parshall said Beaulieu quickly backed up and tried to hit his cruiser before taking off toward Route 2.

Parshall said Beaulieu drove at speeds as high as 100 mph away from police, on back roads and often in the left lane into oncoming traffic. Parshall and other officers from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office and the Maine State Police chased him from Route 2 to Route 5 to Route 35.

Police managed to slow Beaulieu with a spike mat on Route 35 near Waterford Elementary School. Both tires blew, but Beaulieu drove several miles further, where his smoking vehicle was found on the side of the road.

Police dogs tracked Beaulieu to Lake Keoka, where camp owners and the owners of Keoka Campground helped catch Beaulieu by letting police use their boats.

Beaulieu’s probation will include counseling. He will not be allowed to drink alcohol and will be subject to random search and testing.

treaves@sunjournal.com