High-speed chase ends in crash

RUSSELLS POINT -- A high-speed chase Saturday night ended after the suspect crashed into the side of a Wapakoneta police cruiser that was blocking part of the road.

Brian K. Hayman, 44, of Bellfontaine, was arrested and taken to Lima Memorial Health System to be checked for injuries, according to the Russells Point Police Department. The Wapakoneta officer in the cruiser was not injured.

The chase began at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday near Russells Point after a witness reported a drunken driver heading west on U.S. Route 33. The vehicle traveled at speeds of more than 100 mph toward oncoming traffic. The driver then proceeded north on state Route 196 and lost control near the intersection at state Route 67, slamming into the bank and knocking over phone lines and boxes, according to police officials.

The chase continued west on state Route 67 into Waynesfield at speeds of more than 70 mph and the vehicle's passenger-side tires on rims. The Ohio State Highway Patrol placed spike strips near Uniopolis and again near Interstate 75, where the car's only remaining tire was deflated, according to police. The driver then continued toward Wapakoneta, where the crash occured.