Two men were arrested after a high-speed chase early Thursday that ended when soldiers used slash marks, a cruiser forced the suspect’s vehicle into a guardrail and a highway patrol helicopter followed the driver after he fled into the woods.
The incident began when a trooper from the Ohio Highway Patrol’s Mansfield station initiated a traffic stop at 2:36 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 71, which ended near the Ashland County line the arrests of the driver and a passenger.
After: Mansfield man charged in fatal Lake Erie boat crash
A soldier attempted to stop the 2003 Buick Century for a southbound traffic and equipment violation on I-71 in Richland County. The suspects’ vehicle stopped momentarily in the right lane and then drove south.
The chase continued on Ohio 95 in Morrow County at high speed, the Buick swerving through the lanes, according to the patrol.
The suspects exited at Ohio 95 at Ohio 95 and turned north on I-71.
Response units successfully deployed stop sticks to slow down the suspects’ vehicle. The chase continued north on Interstate 71, where the passenger jumped out of the vehicle near post 177 and was apprehended, according to the patrol.
The driver continued north for less than a mile when permission was given to intentionally force the vehicle into a guardrail. The intentional contact succeeded, disabling the Buick.
The driver fled on foot into a wooded area. An Ohio Highway Patrol helicopter directed units to the driver’s location and he was apprehended without incident, the patrol said.
Preliminary investigations show the driver was Justin Peterson, 32, of Cleveland. The passenger was Allan Stephenson, 38, from South Euclid. Peterson was found under the influence of drugs and alcohol and has an active warrant for his crime, the patrol said in a news release. Peterson was taken to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital for treatment for minor injuries and poisoning. Peterson’s charges will be sought through the Richland County District Attorney’s Office.
Stephenson was released with a citation for drug possession.
Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, Mifflin Township EMS and Madison Township EMS attended the scene.
419-521-7223
Twitter: @LWhitmir
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Chase continued on Ohio 95 in Morrow County at high speed
Comments are closed.