Police: Car crashes following pursuit; Middletown man arrested

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (WXIX) - A Middletown man was arrested following a police pursuit that ended in a crash and put two people in the hospital.

Police say Christopher Spicer, 22, of Middletown, is facing charges of vehicular assault, drug abuse, aggravated trafficking in drugs, having weapons under disability, fleeing or eluding, driving under suspension, obedience to traffic control devices, fictitious license plates and reckless operation.

On Thursday, the Middletown police special operations division identified a person of interest in an ongoing investigation and requested the patrol division to conduct a traffic stop, Chief David Birk said.

Officers attempted to stop a Ford F-150 at Autozone near the intersection of Central and Vail avenues.

Chief Birk says the pickup backed up and hit a marked patrol unit then fled at a high rate of speed east on Central Avenue.

Marked units then engaged in a pursuit that went through several roads in Middletown.

“As a result of the fleeing vehicle’s reckless operation and disregard for all traffic control devices, a crash occurred at the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Jackson Lane,” a news release from Middletown police said.

The release says Spicer was identified as the driver of the pickup.

Spicer was arrested at the scene of the crash.

Police say narcotics and firearms were found in Spicer’s vehicle.

Two people who were in the vehicle that was struck were taken to Atrium Medical Center with severe injuries, the news release said.

Spicer was also taken to Atrium where he was medically cleared and taken to the Middletown City Jail, the chief said.

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