Sgt. Rustun Schack, of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Columbus Post, was injured Saturday after Kyle Price allegedly rammed his cruiser with the flatbed truck he was driving. Schack was treated and released for minor injuries. (Photo submitted)
Incident that began in Columbus damages Marysville, OSP cruisers
The Reynoldsburg man charged with leading police on a multi-county chase that ended in Union County when he crashed into several police cars was in court today.
Kyle Frederick Price, 22, of Reynoldsburg, was arraigned this morning in Marysville Municipal Court. Price is charged with one count each of felonious assault, aggravated vehicular assault, failure to comply with a police officer and driving under the influence.
Bail has been set at $250,000.
During the initial appearance, Price admitted he was on drugs at the time of the crash. Additionally, it was revealed that Price was taken from the Tri-County Regional Jail to the hospital in Champaign County.
“He reportedly had ingested drugs,” Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said after the hearing.
Reports indicate Price had 10 balloons of Fentanyl in his stomach, though Phillips said he does not yet have verification of what drugs may have been involved or how they got into his system.
Price is back at the Tri-County Regional Jail.
Officials said the chase began about 1:20 p.m., Saturday. Columbus Division of Police notified Gahanna Police about a stolen vehicle. Gahanna Police began chasing the allegedly stolen vehicle, a flatbed truck with a washing machine strapped to the back, while it was on I-270 on the east side of Columbus.
The vehicle traveled around the top of I-270 and exited onto U.S. 33 westbound, toward Marysville.
Phillips said on multiple occasions law enforcement officials attempted to stop Price using stop sticks on the road. The prosecutor said Price would avoid the stop sticks and narrowly avoid hitting the officers deploying them.
Phillips said traffic in the area was heavy and Price’s speed and actions “created serious risk of harm to the public and the officers trying to stop him.”
This Marysville police cruiser was damaged Saturday after Kyle Price allegedly crashed into it as part of a multi-county pursuit that ended in Marysville. (Photo submitted)
According to a statement from Sgt. Tiffany Weeks of the OSP, when Price got into the city of Marysville, he crossed the median to avoid stop sticks, then traveled westbound in the median on U.S. 33.
“The suspect vehicle then returned to the westbound lanes striking two cruisers, a Marysville Police Department cruiser and an Ohio State Highway Patrol cruiser,” according to Weeks’ statement.
The chase lasted about 20 minutes according to police reports.
Phillips said that after Price crashed and appeared to stop, OSP Sgt. Rustun Schack pulled in behind him and was attempting to get out of his car.
“He had to shut the door because Mr. Price rammed him.”
Marysville Deputy Chief Tony Brooks said there were no Marysville Police officers injured, but the cruiser “sustained heavy damage.”
Schack, of the Columbus Post, did sustain minor injuries and was treated then released, according to Weeks’ statement.
In addition to Marysville, Columbus and Gahanna police and the OSP, a Columbus Police Helicopter Unit helped track the vehicle.