Cleveland man leads multiple police departments on lengthy pursuit

A 26-year-old Cleveland man was arrested April 17 after taking area law enforcement agencies on a lengthy pursuit through Avon and Westlake.

The man was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired, compliance with lawful order of police officer-fleeing, driving under suspension, obedience to traffic control devices and driving on left side of road, all first-degree misdemeanors, according to an Avon Police Department report.

At 1 a.m., Avon police officers were notified by Westlake Police Department that a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu was heading toward Avon after police had attempted to stop the car driving on Interstate 90 while traveling west, the report stated.

Westlake officers stopped pursuing the vehicle as it traveled east on Chester Road.

An Avon officer located the vehicle at the intersection of Chester and Nagel roads and three officers began pursuing it, the report stated.

While heading east on Just Imagine Drive, one of the officers attempted to stop the vehicle which didn’t comply.

The car was traveling at 58 mph, the report stated.

Another officer deployed stop sticks but when the car traveled over them, only the two passenger side tires were flattened.

The car continued west at a low rate of speed on Just Imagine Drive, while officers were following.

The car ran the red light and continued west on Chester Road.

At that point, the pursuit was fluctuating speeds around 20 mph.

When the car reached the stop sticks, he again traveled off of the road to avoid them.

The car slowed from approximately 18 mph down to 12 mph as it passed Wahlberg Chevrolet at 37995 Chester Road, the report stated.

One of the officers repeatedly issued commands to the suspect through the public announcement system, but the driver ignored the commands.

A North Ridgeville Police Department officer joined the pursuit at state Route 611 and Chester Road.

Officers from Avon Lake, Bay Village and Westlake police departments joined the pursuit.

After the car crossed over the railroads tracks on Cahoon Road back into Westlake, Westlake police officers successfully stopped it by running it off the road causing it to travel into a ditch and come to rest in the 600 block of Cahoon Road.

The officers ordered the man out of the vehicle, arrested him and turned him over to Avon police.

The man is in the Lorain County Jail with no bond.