Man who hit deputy with car before chase in custody

A man was arrested after a high-speed pursuit that ended in the hospitalization of his passenger and a Clark County Sheriff ’s Office deputy. Both of the injured have since been released.

Charges are pending for Ethan Markus, 31, of Casstown. He was not listed as an inmate of Clark County Jail as of Tuesday morning.

Markus was taken into custody without incident after he was found on Willow Road by hunters who led the man to the roadway, around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

A deputy initiated a traffic stop on a car in the parking lot of the Relax Inn on West Main Street around 10:30 p.m. Monday after the suspect’s car tags did not match the vehi

cle, according to the Clark County Sheriff ’s Office.

After learning the suspect had a warrant for his arrest, the deputy attempted to pull him out of the vehicle. The suspect fled the traffic stop, hitting the deputy’s arm.

The deputy was taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries and has since been released, according to the sheriff ’s office.

The suspect led deputies on a high-speed pursuit, ultimately ending in the 4400 block of Storms Creek Road in Urbana. Markus crashed his vehicle and left his female passenger in the car as he fled into the woods, according to the sheriff ’s office.

The passenger was taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center for her injuries and was later taken into custody on a warrant.

The Champaign County Sheriff ’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol and its aviation unit, and Bethel Twp. helped deputies search for the suspect until the early morning hours of Tuesday.