MIAMI COUNTY — A high-speed police pursuit from Botkins to Troy ended with a search warrant and the recovery of more than $100,000 in cash and drugs this weekend.
Around 9:45 p.m. Saturday an on duty officer with the Anna Police Department, Nathan Mahaffy, saw two suspicious vehicles at a Marathon Truck Stop in Botkins.
Mahaffy believed the two may have been engaging in narcotics activity and checked the registration of a purple Dodge Charger, he found that it came back to a BMW, stated a media release from the Anna Police Department.
While Mahaffy was checking the registration, the Charger and the second vehicle, a red Dodge Hellcat, reportedly left the lot driving recklessly and at a high rate of speed.
Mahaffy turned on his overhead lights and siren and the Charger drove north on Interstate 75 as the Hellcat headed south. The Charger reached 120 mph during the chase and exited I-75 on exit 104 in Botkins.
The Charger continued fleeing Mahaffy as the Botkins Police Department and The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) joined the pursuit.
The Charger tried to drive down the railroad tracks, but the driver fled on foot after getting stuck between the rails. A large amount of cash was scattered along the tracks when the suspects fled on foot, according to Anna Police.
Mahaffy and Botkins Police began to secure the scene near the railroad tracks where the driver fled on foot. Meanwhile, Mahaffy saw the Red Hellcat pass by his location.
The Hellcat quickly sped up, squealing his tires and left the scene at a high rate of speed prompting part two of the pursuit. Mahaffy and other agencies got back in their cars to go after the Hellcat.
The Hellcat fled onto state Route 29 reaching a speed of 110 mph and continued south bound on I-75, refusing to stop. Once officers and the Hellcat reached the area of state Route 29, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office arrived to assist.
The pursuit continued into Miami County and Mahaffy and the Shelby County units discontinued the pursuit while the OSHP continued on.
OSHP deployed stop sticks around mile marker 76 and got the Hellcat stopped, but the occupants fled on foot.
The Piqua Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted with the search and used one of its helicopters to help find the suspects once they fled on foot.
While crews pursued the Hellcat, the driver of the Charger was spotted at the Circle K in Botkins and was apprehended, Anna Police stated in the release.
He was turned over to Mahaffy and taken to the Shelby County Jail and booked on a charge of Fleeing and Alluding.
Sunday, search warrants were obtained and both vehicles were searched by the Shelby County detective’s unit and officers from Anna and Botkins Police Departments.
More than $100 thousand and a significant amount of drugs were recovered, police said.
A combined investigation is being conducted by the Anna Police Department, the Botkins Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Additional suspects have been identified and several charges are pending.
Cox Media Group
