Police Chief Michael Marotta says the driver will face a felony charge. The department will also evaluate the officers’ actions during the pursuit.
Police in Bedford Heights, Ohio, have arrested a man following a high-speed chase that ended in a fiery crash in Cleveland on Monday night.
The Bedford Heights Police Chief, Michael Marotta, has stated that the driver will be charged with a felony for fleeing and eluding law enforcement. Additionally, department officials will review the pursuit to assess if proper protocols were followed by the officers involved.
The incident began at approximately 11 p.m. on Monday when a Bedford Heights police officer, patrolling the area around Libby Road, witnessed a driver running a red light. Upon attempting to pull the driver over, the driver chose to accelerate, eluding the officer and entering the westbound lanes of I-480.
Marotta says officers confirmed in their reports that speeds during the pursuit exceeded 100 mph. The officers ultimately lost sight of the car when the driver turned onto East 49th Street in Cleveland, and at that point, they called the pursuit off.
However, the chase didn’t end there. When officers drove further into the area, they discovered the vehicle had crashed and the people inside had run. Marotta says authorities used a drone to locate the three individuals, but only the driver was arrested.
As Marotta looks back at the high-speed chase, he acknowledges it was also high risk to the public. He says he and a team for the department will review the chase to determine whether the officers followed policy, or whether they will face disciplinary action or mandated training.
“I’ve been an officer for over 30 years. I know how officers feel during a pursuit,” Marotta said. “However, officers need to maintain the discipline to keep in mind what’s going on around them and not get what they call tunnel vision. We always want to catch the bad guy, but we have to take into consideration, ‘At what cost?'”
The driver involved in the chase did not have any outstanding warrants, and the vehicle was not reported as stolen. According to Marotta, the suspect fled the scene likely to avoid being ticketed for the red-light violation.
