Driver sentenced in hours-long I-275 chase, wife abduction

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (FOX19) - The driver of a semi-truck who led police on an hours-long chase around Interstate 275 pleaded guilty Wednesday.

The chase happened July 18, 2020 after Ohio State Highway Patrol got a call about Patrick Berthelot driving erratically in a semi.

Troopers tried to stop the semi, but Berthelot kept driving. Multiple jurisdictions were involved in the chase.

Berthelot’s wife was in the truck with him for the duration of the chase. Court documents claim she was being held against her will and that she was being physically assaulted during the pursuit.

Police put stop sticks down. As they were doing so, according to court documents, Berthelot tried to hit three officers with the truck. He also swerved and tried to hit a police sergeant.

The stop sticks succeeded in flattening one of the semi’s tires, but Berthelot kept driving, at one point even stopping to disconnect the trailer from the semi.

SWAT eventually used a .50 caliber rifle to shoot the engine block on the semi, which caused an oil leak and forced the semi to stop.

Berthelot was initially arrested on a kidnapping charge. He pleaded guilty Monday to abduction, felonious assault and failure to comply with a police officer.

He will serve seven years in prison with credit for 669 days already served. His license will be suspended for five years.

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