Officers pursued a speeding vehicle through Marysville Wednesday afternoon after the car failed to comply with a traffic stop. After roaring through town and hitting another car, the Pontiac, pictured above, stopped on West Fifth Street, near Oakdale Cemetery, after its right front tire lost pressure. The driver, Derrick Lee Clark, 28, of Westerville, and his passenger, Brook A. Davidson, 29, of Marysville, were taken into custody. Above, Marysville police officers are pictured inspecting the vehicle.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Jacob Runnels)
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Police officers nabbed a man and woman after a pursuit through Marysville in a stolen car Wednesday afternoon.
At 1:21 p.m. Wednesday, a Marysville police officer initiated a traffic stop in the area of Delaware Avenue and U.S. 33 for a gray 2005 Pontiac vehicle, driven by Derrick Lee Clark, 28, of Westerville, that committed a traffic violation.
“The vehicle had shown suspicious indicators,” Deputy Chief Tony Brooks said. “It made an abrupt turn from U.S. 33 and didn’t use a turn signal.”
As the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, it fled. Brooks said the vehicle was traveling at “excessive speeds” westbound down Delaware Avenue and into town.
Officers pursued the vehicle. Clark sped through the Five Points intersection and continued westbound on East Fifth Street.
After zooming through the Uptown Square, westbound on West Fifth Street, Clark struck a blue Ford Escape vehicle, driven by an elderly woman, at the intersection of West Fifth and Mulberry streets and continued on. No other information could be obtained about the crash before press time.
Due to the crash, Clark’s vehicle’s right front wheel lost tire pressure and eventually came to rest on West Fifth Street, west of Damascus Road, outside of Oakdale Cemetery.
It was originally reported that stop sticks were used to flatten the tires on the car. Today, however, Brooks said they were not deployed, as the vehicle “moved too fast” for officers to use them.
The vehicle, reported stolen out of Columbus, was surrounded by units from the Marysville Division of Police and the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
Clark and his passenger, Brook A. Davidson, 29, of Marysville, were taken into custody. She was booked into Tri-County Regional Jail at 5:57 p.m. and he was taken in at 6:34 p.m.
According to a police report, Clark was charged with one count each of receiving stolen property, which is a fourth-degree felony, driving under suspension — an unclassified misdemeanor — and failure to stop after an accident with the Ford vehicle, a first-degree misdemeanor, also known as a “hit-skip.” According to the Tri-County Regional Jail, he is also charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and failure to comply with a police officer.
The report also states Davidson was charged with a fourth-degree felony of receiving stolen property and a fifth-degree felony of obstructing justice. According to the Tri-County Regional Jail, she is also charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
Drug charges are likely to be taken against both Davidson and Clark, depending on the lab results.
They were both scheduled for their initial appearance in Marysville Municipal Court today.