A Belle Center man was arrested for failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs related to a pursuit that began in Logan County Wednesday afternoon, officers of the Russells Point Police Department report.
Jacob A. Barr, 26, of 3087 State Route 67, was arrested after he reportedly crashed into a house in Hardin County at the intersection of County 190 and 39. Russells Point officers said they had previously terminated the pursuit after the defendant increased his speed in excess of 80 mph on county roads north of Indian Lake into Auglaize County, before heading east toward Roundhead.
About 3 p.m., dispatchers at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a Lakeview woman who said a red sport utility vehicle repeatedly rammed her 2018 Volkswagen near west Main Street and Wilgus Drive. She described the driver as drooling and clearly intoxicated.
The suspect vehicle reportedly fled the area prior to the officer’s arrival, driving east on Main Street toward Lakeview. An Ohio Department of Natural Resources officer spotted the vehicle and activated the cruiser’s emergency lights and siren in an attempt to stop the vehicle.
However, the vehicle failed to yield and continued north on State Route 235 with officers following and that’s when the driver increased his speed and headed into Auglaize County and then east into Hardin County.
After a short period of time, officers terminated the pursuit and began to return to Indian Lake.
Then a second 911 call indicated a vehicle matching the description crashed into the Hardin County home.
The driver of the vehicle was quickly arrested and identified as Barr. Officers said he was driving a 2007 BMV SUV registered to Taylor Newman of the same address. He reportedly had minor injuries, but refused EMS treatment.
During the course of the investigation, the defendant began to nod off in the rear of the cruiser, making officers suspicious of drug activity. Barr eventually admitted to struggling with addiction, adding he lacked the resources to get the help he needed to get clean.
He was transported to the Logan County Jail, where a controlled substance was found in an inside pocket by corrections officers. Additional drugs were found inside the vehicle after an inventory was conducted.
Barr refused to submit to a chemical test. He also was charged with illegal conveyance into a detention facility, and also has a prior alcohol-related conviction and a previous drug conviction.