MAD RIVER TWP. — A teen who tried to run away from a crash but was involved in a separate incident with a pursuing Springfield police cruiser suffered his more serious injuries in the first crash and not the incident involving the cruiser, according to crash investigations by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Two Ohio State Highway Patrol crash reports were obtained by News Center 7 Thursday following a public records request into the Springfield police pursuit and subsequent crashes involving a stolen minivan and the police cruiser May 22. The records request also included photos taken by state troopers during the investigation of both crashes.
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State troopers determined in their preliminary investigation that a teen, identified by family as Tyron Moore, 16, of Urbana, was a passenger in a stolen minivan that crashed during the police chase on Fairfield Pike near Garrison Road in Mad River Twp. Moore tried to run away from the scene but a Springfield police cruiser, driven by Officer Christopher Armstrong, crashed into a fence Moore was trying to climb, state troopers said.
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“The occupants of the suspect’s vehicle fled on foot. (Armstrong) continued to pursue the occupants through the yard at 4655 Fairfield Pike. (Moore) was climbing a wooden fence when (Armstrong) struck the fence. (Moore) struck the right front hood / fender of (Armstrong’s cruiser),” state troopers documented in the crash report.
State troopers noted that after the cruiser hit the fence, and Moore then hit the cruiser, Moore tried to run away again before he was caught and placed into custody.
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During investigation state troopers found blood in the minivan determined to be an injury Moore suffered in the first crash. State troopers listed Moore’s injuries in the first crash involving only the stolen minivan as “suspected serious injuries.” While the second crash, involving Moore and the Springfield police cruiser, his injuries were only listed as “possible injuries.”
“(Moore’s injuries are) unknown due to being involved in a motor vehicle crash immediately prior to this crash,” state troopers said in the crash report involving the Urbana teen and police cruiser.
State troopers also reviewed the Springfield police cruiser camera video from the crash and said a clear, visual injury can be seen on Moore’s head before the cruiser hit the fence.
“The dash cam from (the police cruiser) was reviewed in slow motion. While (Moore) was on the fence you can see an injury to the right side of his forehead. When Moore begins to fall toward the hood of the cruiser a drop of blood appeared on the windshield. As he continued to fall toward the cruiser, another drop of blood appeared on the windshield prior to Moore making contact with (the police cruiser),” state troopers said in the report.
In addition to Moore’s blood on the police cruiser, the cruiser had a dented front bumper and the front bumper and grille were cracked below the right headlight.
After the two crashes involving Moore, he was flown to Miami Valley Hospital by a CareFlight medical helicopter. He was later treated, released, and taken to juvenile detention, according to family members.
In the days after the crash, family members spoke to News Center 7 saying Springfield police never told them Moore tried to run from the scene and that he was found unresponsive inside the minivan.
“They never told me that he had got out running,” Heather Hall, Moore’s mother told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott last week.
News Center 7 requested a comment from Springfield police and a city spokesperson last week about the family’s claims but did not receive a response. A Springfield spokesperson also did not respond at the time of this publication to a News Center 7 request Thursday for comment.
We’ll continue to update this story as we learn more.
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