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NORTH ATTLEBORO - A brief, high-speed police chase down Route 1 early Friday ended with an allegedly stolen car crashing near Interstate 295.

The 2007 Nissan was reported stolen from Nissan Village on Route 1 about 5:30 p.m. by a man posing as a customer who wanted to take it on taking a test drive, police said.

"He took it out for a test drive, and he jumped in and ran," Police Lt. Charles Nicholas said of Damian Hines, 26, of Providence.

Learning the man's identity didn't require too much policework. "The guy, when he took it, he dropped his wallet. That helped us a lot," Nicholas said. "They were able to track him down and told him to bring back the car." He said, adding, "When he brought it back, he almost was there and the officers surrounded him, and he drove over a curbstone and drove away, and there was a high speed chase.

"The officer called it in 90 miles per hour," Nicholas said of the fleeing car. The chase ran about a quarter mile down Route 1 South before the car ended up crashing into a wooded gully at the junction of Route 1 South and Interstate 295 South about 5:45 p.m.

"He lost control going around the corner on the ramp," Nicholas said of the driver.

"He then fled on foot, and they ended up grabbing him."

Patrolman John Grim, who had given chase, apprehended Hines, who was checked out by firefighters before being taken to the police station.

The car was totaled.

Hines is charged with larceny of a motor vehicle, failure to stop, and operating to endanger along with an outstanding warrant for stealing another car, Nicholas said.

He was being held Friday night at the police station on $10,000 bail, and was scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Attleboro District Court.