CHASE ENDS IN CRASH

A chase that began in Carlisle Township ended in a crash that closed part of Center Ridge Road in Westlake for hours Tuesday afternoon. The driver of the stolen van crashed into a truck, over turning it and then into and snapping a utility pole.

Lorain County Sheriff’s Department received a call around 1:30 Tuesday afternoon of a burglary that had just occurred on Robson Road in Carlisle Township. One of the Officers responding was Sgt. Tester; he spotted a vehicle approaching Grafton Road from Robson. He pulled in front of the vehicle and approached the driver. The man was taken out of the vehicle and a protective pat down was started. During the pat down the man became nervous and pulled away from Sgt. Tester running off north on Grafton Rd. towards K&B Sunoco.

Sgt. Tester gave chase and was behind the man when he entered a vehicle that was at the gas pumps. The man jumped in the vehicle and at this time the Deputy deployed his taser weapon into the vehicle at the subject, but the man continued in the stolen vehicle.

Sgt. Tester gave the description of the vehicle and suspect to his dispatch who then relayed it to surrounding agencies.
North Ridgeville Police advised later that they were in pursuit of the vehicle on Center Ridge Road by Jaycox. The vehicle crashed a short time later on Center Ridge Road just east of Croker Rd. During the chase the driver of the van reportedly crashed into a North Ridgeville Police car in the Giant Eagle parking lot.

Alex Lilly, an employee of K&B Sunoco, said that he was outside when the suspect took the van from the gas pumps. “The customer pulled up and may not have known that we are a full service station cause he got out of the van and went inside. I saw the guy the cops were chasing run up and jump in. When the cop shot that taser into the van it sounded like a regular gun going off, then the guy just took off and the cop went chasing after him.” Lilly said that excitement like this doesn’t happen every day around the station. “It was exciting but I think I can live without something like that happening here again.”

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