PORT CLINTON – A man hit speeds over 130 mph in a high-speed chase on May 26 through Allen and Clay townships, Williston and the Village of Genoa before being arrested by an Ottawa County Sheriff’s Deputy.
Ryan Eshelman, 22, from Logan, Ohio, was arrested for and charged with fleeing and eluding (a felony), as well as misdemeanor charges for weapons under disability, operating a motor vehicle impaired, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and for speed.
According to Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick, more changes could be coming, as a Clay Township police car sustained minor damage in the incident. A firearm was located in the vehicle’s glove box and a second firearm was found in the truck.
Around 8:07 p.m. on May 26, an Ottawa County Sheriff’s deputy was stationary on Ohio 579 in Williston when he observed a vehicle traveling at 79 mph in a 40 mph zone. The vehicle fled “at a high rate of speed” when the deputy attempted a traffic stop, the sheriff’s office report noted.
During the pursuit from the Williston neighborhood in Allen Township and into Clay Township, including the Village of Genoa, the vehicle reached speeds in excess of 130 mph. Levorchick said the vehicle eventually stopped at a closed bridge in Clay Township on Ohio 51. The road, at a point south of W. Fulkert Road, is under construction related to the bridge over the Toussaint Creek.
“There was erratic driving and the odor of alcoholic beverages on or about his person,” Levorchick said. “If we didn’t suspect it, or believe him to be under the influence, we wouldn’t have probable cause to make an arrest.”
The Sheriff’s Office deputies were assisted through mutual aid by officers from the Clay Township Police Department and the Genoa Police Department. A passenger was removed with Eshelman, interviewed at the scene and released.
Eshelman is suspected of being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. He is currently housed at the Ottawa County Detention Facility.
rlapointe@gannett.com
419-332-2674
This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: High-speed chase through Ottawa County ends at closed bridge
Reporting by Roger LaPointe, Port Clinton News Herald / Port Clinton News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
