The Columbus Dispatch

County deputy, Obetz officer crash vehicles

- By Edward Sutelan The Columbus Dispatch esutelan@dispatch.com @Edwardsute­lan

A Franklin County sheriff’s office patrol car and an Obetz police cruiser crashed into each other Friday during a pursuit of a reported stolen vehicle, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Both cars were damaged and the airbags of the Obetz cruiser deployed, but neither law-enforcemen­t officer was injured in the crash on Columbus’ South Side. The release did not identify the drivers because they had not yet been interviewe­d by investigat­ors, said Marc Gofstein, a sheriff’s office spokesman.

The pursuit began after the sheriff’s office deputy determined a car matched the descriptio­n of a stolen vehicle reported from Pickaway County and attempted to make a traffic stop about 10:40 a.m. Friday, near the area of Alum Creek and Spiegel drives, near the Groveport-hamilton Township border. The driver, who had a passenger in the vehicle, refused to pull over and a chase began, the sheriff’s office said.

The Obetz officer joined the pursuit as it went north through that community on Alum Creek Drive. The crash occurred near Alum Creek and Winslow drives, just north of the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks and Interstate 270 — nearly 7 miles from where the pursuit began.

Columbus police later arrested Mardis Stevens, 30, the driver of the suspected stolen vehicle, and an unnamed passenger near some apartments on Winslow Drive. The pair had abandoned the vehicle immediatel­y after the deputyoffi­cer crash, the sheriff’s office said.

Stevens was charged with one count of receiving stolen property, the release said, and the passenger was taken to Ohiohealth Grant Hospital with a suspected drug overdose.

An investigat­ion continues and further charges are possible, the release said.

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