OHIO — A multi-county, high-speed pursuit on Interstate 75 Tuesday evening ended with a crash and the arrest of a Lima man accused of fleeing a traffic stop in Findlay.
According to a news release from the Findlay Police Department, officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop at 8:18 p.m. Tuesday for a marked lanes violation in the 1200 block of West Main Cross Street. Police said the driver, later identified as 32-year-old Da’Shawn Pitts Sr. of Lima, failed to stop.
Police said Pitts was driving a 2019 Ford Escape and entered Interstate 75 southbound toward Lima, leading officers on a pursuit that covered approximately 30 miles and lasted about 18 minutes. Speeds during the chase reached up to 110 miles per hour, according to the release. The pursuit ended after Pitts exited the interstate onto Bluelick Road and crashed west of North Sugar Street in Lima.
After the crash, police said Pitts fled the scene on foot. A drone operated by the Lima Police Department located Pitts hiding in brush near a pond. Findlay police then deployed a canine, and officers issued commands, which Pitts followed before being taken into custody without further incident.
Emergency crews transported Pitts to Lima Memorial Health System for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash. He was later transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Pitts is charged with aggravated possession of drugs, a second-degree felony; tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, according to the release. Jail records show he remained in custody as of 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Assisting agencies included the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Allen County Sheriff’s Office, Lima Police Department, Bath Township Fire Department, and Dick’s Towing.
