PUT-IN-BAY, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—In the early hours of Sunday, July 7, 2024, the Put-in-Bay Police Department officers responded to a report of a man beating a woman in front of the Put-in-Bay School.
The incident quickly escalated into a high-speed chase through the streets of Put-in-Bay.
The suspect, identified as a 39-year-old male from Marion, Ohio, jumped into a vehicle parked at the school and drove at a high rate of speed northbound on Catawba Ave. towards responding officers.
The chase continued through Bayview Ave., Hartford Ave., and Delaware Ave., where the suspect crashed into a golf cart, injuring one of its occupants.
The pursuit then led officers through South Bass Island State Park, where the suspect narrowly avoided head-on collisions with police vehicles. The chase finally came to an end on Niagara Ave., where the suspect was taken into custody after a high-risk vehicle stop.
The 29-year-old woman from Lebanon, Ohio, who was in the golf cart that was hit by the suspect, was taken to a hospital by Life Flight with minor injuries that could not be treated by EMS.
The suspect, who did not have a valid driver’s license and appeared to be intoxicated, is facing potential felony, misdemeanor, and traffic charges.
It is important to note that Put-in-Bay Police patrol vehicles do not have dashboard cameras, so there is no video footage of the incident available.