A 19-year-old Maryland man has been identified as the driver killed in a car crash after a police chase from Louisa into Albemarle County on Memorial Day.

Albemarle police said yesterday that Quentin Aaron Lewis, of Mechanicsville, Md., was the driver of a 1993 Geo Metro that crashed into a tree in the 5600 block of Louisa Road, also known as state Route 22.

Lewis crashed about 9:50 a.m. on May 26 during a high-speed pursuit by a Louisa Sheriff's deputy who had spotted him speeding in a car without license plates. The chase lasted seven minutes and reached a speed of more than 85 mph.

The wreck was the first of two fatal car crashes in two weeks involving high-speed police chases that began in Louisa. A 36-year-old Gum Spring man died on Saturday night after crashing on state Route 619 while grappling with a sawed-off shotgun during a four-minute chase by Louisa deputies, authorities say.

Albemarle police attributed the Memorial Day crash to high speed and driver error. They said he was driving an unregistered farm vehicle that had been reported stolen that day in Caroline County.

The Virginia Medical Examiner's Office identified Lewis, who was unrecognizable because of injuries from the crash and resulting fire. The investigation also included the Louisa and Caroline sheriff's offices, the Virginia and Maryland state police, and Albemarle police. -- Michael Martz