Law enforcement pursuit of a vehicle reported stolen from the city of Bellefontaine concluded Tuesday when the individual crashed the car around 3:15 p.m. into a wooden patio at LugNuts, 6748 Lima St., Huntsville.
The driver of the vehicle, Eric S. Oberly, 33, of Bellefontaine, was transported by Huntsville EMS to Mary Rutan Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the 3:05 p.m. crash, deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office report. He was later transferred to the OSU Wexner Medical Center for further treatment.
Deputies said when Oberly was removed from the crashed vehicle, he appeared to be under the influence of some kind of stimulant, and search warrants will be served for his medical records to determine if he was impaired at the time of the crash.
About 2:39 p.m. Tuesday, officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department were dispatched to the Speedway gas station, 600 E. Sandusky Ave. Brett Castle of Bellefontaine told officers his 2009 Honda Accord had just been stolen from that location by an unknown man.
Law enforcement pursuit reportedly began when a Russells Point police officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop for failure to stop at a stop sign. The vehicle reportedly fled from officers at extremely high speeds, leaving the Russells Point corporation limit east of State Route 366 and continuing across State Route 117 to County Road 100.
The driver then lost control and left the roadway, driving over a mailbox and through several yards before turning back toward S.R. 117.
When re-entering the roadway, the suspect vehicle struck the left front fender of the Russells Point police cruiser and then turned southbound onto S.R. 117 toward Huntsville. Washington Township Police Department officers also became involved in the pursuit.
Law enforcement said the suspect entered the Huntsville corporation limits still traveling at excessive speeds. The car went off the left side of Lima Street and into the parking lot of LugNuts, driving over a parking stall and striking the wood patio area, which was heavily damaged from the impact.
Damage also was heavy to the stolen car, which was towed from the scene.
Bellefontaine Police Department are investigating the stolen vehicle, deputies from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the crash and Russells Point police are determining potential charges for the pursuit.