A high-speed pursuit that started with a traffic stop ended when law enforcement officials decided to call it off for the safety of the public, the suspect and the officers.
Deputy Chief Tony Brooks of the Marysville Division of Police said a sergeant was running a radar in the 200 block of Fourth Street when he identified a black Ford Ranger going 53 miles per hour in a 25-mph zone.
“The sergeant initiated a traffic stop for a speed violation and the vehicle immediately began to accelerate and sped away from the sergeant,” Brooks said.
Sgt. Ron Nicol followed the truck from Fourth to Grove Street and into the Bar Haven development to Kenny Lane then Milford Avenue.
Brooks said the pursuit went through Green Pastures development, out Northwest Parkway to Honda Parkway then onto a variety of county roads.
Nicol was joined by deputies from the Union County Sheriff’s office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. OSP troopers attempted to get ahead of the truck and deploy stop sticks but were unsuccessful.
During the chase it was learned the truck had been reported stolen out of Marion County.
The pursuit eventually went into Logan County. At 7:29 p.m., officers decided to stop the chase.
“It was getting dangerous on those back county roads,” Brooks said. “Our guys didn’t know those roads and at the speeds, it was too dangerous.”
By the time deputies from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office responded, the chase had been terminated and the suspect was gone.
During the evening, a resident on Township Road 181 in Logan County told investigators that someone drove onto their property, parked a Ford Ranger and ran into a field. The witness gave a description of the driver to investigators from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
“We don’t have any information on the driver,” Brooks said.
When investigators arrived at the truck, they identified the truck as the Ranger from the pursuit.
Law enforcement officials from a variety of agencies searched the area on foot and using both a drone and an aircraft from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Despite the search, the suspect was not found.
“It is believed he stole a second vehicle from the area and it is believed he has fled the area,” Brooks said.
A representative from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, who refused to give her name, said officials there are “too busy” to give a description of the suspect, the missing vehicle or to ask for the public’s help.
Brooks said that while the suspect was not arrested, officials are pleased no one, including the suspect, was hurt during the chase.
“There were no injuries and officers used due regard for the public safety,” Brooks said. “Other than apprehending the suspect, it turned out about as well as it could.”
He said the public can wonder how a Ford Ranger eludes police. He said police and criminals have “a different standard of driving.” He said police want to protect the public. Criminals want to get away.
“The bad guys don’t care about the safety of citizens of Marysville or others on the road,” Brooks said. “Our officers have to be responsible with these pursuits. It simply comes down to our officers doing everything they can to keep the public safe, the suspect safe and themselves safe.”