RV theft suspect facing charges in Sept. 1 police chase
10/14/2005The man who allegedly stole a relative's recreational vehicle and drove it into the Maumee River while police chased him Tuesday night was in Lucas County Common Pleas Court yesterday for another alleged chase with police on Sept. 1.
Timothy Kurth, 35, appeared in front of Judge James Bates on charges of felonious assault and failure to comply stemming from the September incident. Judge Bates set a trial for Oct. 25.
Mr. Kurth's trial was scheduled to begin Tuesday, but he never showed up, and Judge Bates issued a warrant for his arrest, setting bond at $50,000.
That night, police said Mr. Kurth got into a second chase with them that started in West Toledo and ended in Point Place. That chase culminated with Mr. Kurth driving the RV into the river off a boat ramp in Cullen Park.
In the September case, Mr. Kurth is accused of trying to hit police Capt. Jack Smith and then leading police on a chase that ended in a construction zone on Dorr Street.
A police report said Captain Smith spotted a 1991 Eagle Summit in Sterling Park, which is off Sterling Street near City Park Avenue, about 10:30 a.m. Sept. 1. Police said they later learned it was driven by Mr. Kurth.
Captain Smith said he approached the vehicle when he noticed the driver acting suspiciously. The vehicle drove off, nearly hitting him.
At Hawley Street and Belmont Avenue, the report said Mr. Kurth's car hit Captain Smith's vehicle, damaging the police vehicle.
Police units chased Mr. Kurth's car and bumped it into a construction zone on Dorr , where it eventually was disabled. Officers arrested Mr. Kurth after a short foot chase, the report stated.
Captain Smith said officers at the scene of Tuesday's chase didn't know about the warrant probably because of the lag time between the court order and putting the information into the police computer system.
Mr. Kurth told police the reason he fled from them Tuesday night was because he thought he was being sought on an arrest warrant.