Man admits guilt in slow-speed pursuit on New Year’s Day

UPDATE @ 4:12 p.m. (April 19)

Eric Turner pleaded guilty to failure to comply with a police order in this case. He will be sentenced in May.

FIRST REPORT

A man is being held in the Tri-County Jail in Champaign County after he allegedly led Ohio State Highway Patrol on a slow-speed chase through two counties.

Eric Joseph Turner, 46, is being held on suspicion of several charges, including driving under suspension, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, fleeing and eluding and felonious assault, according to a release from the patrol.

Turner was driving a vehicle that was stopped at 12:48 a.m. New Year’s Day for a speed violation on Selma Road near Spring Street in Springfield, according to the release.

According to the patrol, Turner pulled away from the stop and led troopers on a slow-speed pursuit on several streets, eventually striking one of the cruisers before leading the pursuit on Springfield Urbana Road into Champaign County.

Troopers deployed a tire-flattening device which flattened the right rear tire of Turner’s vehicle, but he continued north into the city of Urbana where he avoided another tire-flattening device deployed by Urbana police, according to the release.

During the chase in Urbana, Turner rammed the same cruiser he struck before and disabled it, according to the patrol.

The chase ended when the suspect drove to an address and was taken into custody, according to the patrol.

No one was injured in the pursuit.

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