When a teenage girl texted 911 last week to say she was in the car with a 20-year-old man headed down Interstate 75 to buy heroin, it was Miami County Communications Center’s first such call.
It also was exactly the type of situation the text to 911 technology was intended to address, center Director Jeff Busch said Tuesday. The county announced earlier this month it was able to handle texts to 911.
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A transcript of the communication on July 22 between the girl, who was a passenger in the car, outlined the back and forth communication as the 16-year-old pleaded for help.
She described the situation and provided information as she traveled in the vehicle driven by Matthew Weigel from Miami County into Harrison Twp., a drug buy and their return up the interstate before being stopped near Tipp City.
"He's on a house arrest bracelet and he's trying to take me to Dayton with him to get heroin … cannot call on the phone," the girl texted. She also reported Weigel said he would lead police on a high-speed chase and wreck the vehicle, if necessary.
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The teen said the man thought she was texting his mother, though later in the transcript she texted he called her a "snitch."
The interaction lasted around 30 minutes. The vehicle was stopped by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Tipp City police. Weigel was apprehended without incident. He is in the Miami County Jail on suspicion of a probation violation.
Miami County commissioners mentioned the successful resolution of the incident during their Tuesday morning meeting.
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Busch earlier told commissioners the technology would be beneficial in certain circumstances, such as when someone was in a house or another situation in which a phone call could endanger the caller. Voice calls are preferred when possible, he said.
"Obtaining and verifying information can be done more quickly through a voice call. Furthermore, telecommunicators can gain valuable insight into situations by hearing the tone of the caller's voice and listening to background noises through voice calls," Busch said on July 13 when he announced the new technology.
