Man arrested following alleged chase

A Michigan man is in trouble after allegedly leading police on a chase before crashing his vehicle.

Jesse G. Nihem, 24, of Fort Gratiot, Mich., was charged with failure to comply with order or signalling of a police officer, a third-degree felony, failure to comply with order and OVI, both first-degree misdemeanors, and two counts of operation in willful or wanton disregard for safety of persons or property and a red light violation, both minor misdemeanors, after he led police on a chase beginning at 2:53 a.m. Sept. 25, according to an Elyria police report.

Officers noticed Nihem’s vehicle, a Chevy Silverado, travel at a high rate of speed going south on West River Road. The car, as it turned east onto Midway Boulevard, spun its tires to make the turn then continued to drive down Midway Boulevard at a high rate of speed, spinning its tires and disregarding traffic laws, the report said.

The chase continued to Leona Street then east onto Griswold Road. Nihem then approached the railroad tracks on Griswold and turned off the vehicle lights. Officers lost the car temporarily but the Ohio State Highway Patrol was able to catch up when the car went off the side of the road and hit a utility pole while traveling west on state Route 113 near Lake Avenue, the report said.

Nihem, who is being held at Lorain County Jail on a $17, 450 bond, must appear at 2 p.m. Oct. 1 before Elyria Municipal Court Judge Robert C. White.