Toledo man jailed after high-speed chase

9/11/2007

A Toledo man is in jail today after leading police on a high-speed chase on rain-slickened roads early this morning through south Toledo and Maumee, where the chase ended in a fiery crash of the sport-utility vehicle he was driving, authorities said. There were no reported injuries.

Russell Stockman, 47, of 1746 Duncan Rd., is being held in the Lucas County jail pending arraignment in the Toledo and Maumee municipal courts. Mr. Stockman was charged with the felony offense of fleeing and eluding and several misdemeanor offenses by both Toledo and Maumee police, a Lucas County sheriff's deputy at the jail said.

The SUV was southbound on Detroit Avenue at a high rate of speed at 1:55 a.m. when it crossed Monroe Street in front of a Toledo police car, which was stopped at the red light, Toledo police said.

An officer, who was in the police car, later wrote in his report that the SUV, a 1993 Plymouth Voyager, was going so fast that it 'nearly went momentarily airborne going over the bumps and dips at that particular intersection.'

The officer gave chase and caught up with the SUV at Detroit and Dorr Street, at which point the driver of the minivan ran the red light and the officer activated the siren and the overhead lights.

The driver of the SUV then continued south on Detroit, running the red lights at Hill Avenue, Airport Highway, Glendale Avenue, and Anthony Wayne Trail before crossing over into Maumee, where Toledo police terminated the pursuit.

The SUV then drove to River Road, where it crashed near South Detroit and caught fire. The driver got out of the vehicle and was walking away when he was arrested by Maumee police.

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