Father who led police on high-speed chase gets two years

10/9/2018

A Morenci, Mich., man was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for leading Toledo police on a high-speed chase with his wife and four children in the vehicle. 

Christopher Carden, 31, was sentenced by Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge James Bates for failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, and a misdemeanor offense of endangering children. 

He also faces three years of post-release control and his driving privileges were suspended in Ohio. 

Three additional charges of endangering children were dismissed. 

Carden’s attorney, John McMahon, said his client was on parole in Michigan when police tried to pull him over for failing to stop at a stop sign Aug. 7 at the intersection of Arcadia Avenue and Collingwood Boulevard.

“That was enough to spook Christopher into a car chase. He took off, he did park his car because his wife and his children were in the car. Thankfully, no one was hurt, no officers were hurt,” Mr. McMahon said. 

Carden continued on foot and officers eventually caught him. 

On Tuesday, he apologized to the court, to the officers, and to his family. 

Mr. McMahon requested his client be sentenced to the Lucas County Correctional Treatment Facility because Carden struggles with substance abuse.