A driver of a stolen vehicle led multiple law enforcement agencies on a high-speed chase early Thursday morning, starting in Bowling Green. The driver reportedly dumped the first vehicle near Weston, then assaulted a man while stealing a second vehicle before being caught in Findlay.
Findlay Police Department arrested the suspect, but would not release his name.
The first chase began after Bowling Green Police Division was notified of a stolen white Ford F-150 after license plate reader cameras hit on the vehicle around 12:46 a.m. Police saw the truck make a U-turn at South Main Street and Gypsy Lane Road, then pull into the Walmart entrance.
Officers attempted to pull over the truck, which did not stop but headed south on South Main Street, then turned westbound onto U.S. 6.
The truck reached speeds over 90 mph, but BG officers were advised to not go over 90 mph because of wet road conditions. Wood County Sheriff’s Deputies also joined in the pursuit.
The truck went over the railroad tracks on Route 6, then pulled into a residence. Officers approached the pickup truck, but the driver had fled.
Sheriff’s deputies requested two thermal drones to respond to the scene. Two Ohio State Patrol troopers arrived and started clearing a factory located to the east.
Officers from BGPD, the sheriff’s office and state patrol began a methodical search for the suspect on surrounding properties.
Around 5 a.m., the sheriff’s office received a call for medical assistance from the factory by the tracks on Route 6, after the suspect reportedly assaulted a man and stole his Chevy Silverado from that location.
At 5:30 a.m., a trooper with the Findlay State Patrol post saw the Silverado driving south on County Road 140 at U.S. 224. The driver reportedly failed to stop for the trooper and a pursuit ensued.
The pursuit continued into Findlay, where the suspect reached a dead-end, drove onto a gravel road, through a gate and into a residential area. The suspect stopped the vehicle on Parkwood Drive and reportedly fled on foot before being captured by Findlay Police Department.
