Cross-county chase ends in crash

Two men in a stolen car led police on a short chase Oct. 5 that spanned multiple Lorain County jurisdictions, authorities said.

The incident began in Westlake, where a 2007 Chevrolet Equinox was reported stolen at a park, but it became an issue for Lorain County authorities when it entered North Ridgeville, according to North Ridgeville police Capt. Marti Garrow.

Garrow said one of his Department’s officers tried to stop the SUV at about 6:27 p.m. on Mills Road west of state Route 83.

When the officer exited his cruiser and approached the car, the driver, later identified as 29-year-old John D. Pustelniak of Lorain, drove off traveling westbound, Garrow said.

Pustelniak then guided the SUV north on Stony Ridge Road toward Avon.

A North Ridgeville dispatcher contacted Avon to advise them of the situation and learned of the Avon High School Homecoming Parade that stopped traffic on Detroit Road, Garrow said.

The officer was advised to break off the pursuit and it was left to Avon, he said.

Garrow said he wasn’t sure how, but the car continued on and travelled west on Detroit.

About 10 minutes later, another North Ridgeville officer observed the SUV at a gasoline station at Case Road and U.S. 20, Garrow said.

The officer attempted to block the SUV in, but Pustelniak maneuvered around him and traveled west on Center Ridge Road with an officer in pursuit, Garrow said.

As the car crossed over state Route 57 into Elyria, where the Elyria Police Department took up the pursuit, he said.

According to an Elyria police report, the car then traveled off the road and through a guard rail before coming to a stop after crashing into the front porch of a home in the 200 block of East River Road.

Pustelniak and the passenger, later identified as 23-year-old Justin A. Innes of Elyria, fled on foot.

Pustelniak was found a brief time later about 30 feet deep into a ravine crouched down behind a building at 15 Smith Court in Elyria, the report said.

Officers ordered him to climb back up the ravine, but he ignored them and began wading chest deep into the Black River, according to the report.

Two officers entered the ravine to retrieve Pustelniak and arrested him without incident, the report said.

According to the report, officers believed Innes fled in a large “walk-in” sized drain pipe in the ravine and they entered the pipe in an effort to find him.

The officers traveled about 100 yards into the pipe, but retreated over concerns about their safety.

The report said Pustelniak was turned over to North Ridgeville police.

Pustelniak is facing charges of expired plates, driving in marked lanes, passing left of center, willful wanton disregard of safety and fleeing in Avon Lake Municipal Court; two counts of reckless operation, failure to comply with order, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of a crash in Elyria Municipal Court; and likely a grand theft auto charge in Westlake, according to Garrow.

Innes could face charges.

Pustelniak