Massillon police: Chase ends when driver flees at speeds up to 100 mph, crashes

A 35-year-old Massillon man is facing three criminal charges, accused of leading police on a three-mile chase that reached speeds up to 100 mph and ended with a crash at Alabama Avenue in Tuscarawas Township.

Massillon police Lt. Nicholas Antonides said the incident began just before 10 p.m. Monday when officers tried to serve the suspect with a domestic violence warrant as he was seated in a vehicle in a parking lot in the 3200 block of Lincoln Way W.

Antonides gave this account of what happened next:

Officers approached the vehicle and activated their cruiser's overhead lights in an attempt to make an arrest. The vehicle immediately fled and traveled west on Lincoln Way W. The vehicle traveled three miles, reaching speeds of 100 mph. Once the suspect's vehicle crossed Alabama Avenue, it veered off the road into a cornfield, where it crashed.

The suspect left the wrecked vehicle on foot toward a wooded area southwest of the intersection of Alabama and Lincoln Street. Officers, including police dog Loki, chased and tracked the suspect to the tree line.

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Officers called for the North Lawrence Fire Department to treat a passenger who had been in the vehicle with the suspect. The passenger, a 38-year-old Massillon woman, was taken to a hospital. She was released after treatment.

No officers were injured in the pursuit, which lasted just over two minutes.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to handle the crash. The Stark County Sheriff’s Office responded with a drone to search for the suspect.

The suspect was later found in the woods and arrested. The Lawrence Township Fire Department treated him at the scene for injuries.

In addition to the initial felony domestic violence charge, the suspect was charged in Massillon Municipal Court with failure to comply with an order or signal of police officer and obstructing official business.

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Massillon man leads police on 100 mph chase, ends in crash