2 men charged in police pursuit, wrong-way crash on I-75
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Two people accused in the police pursuit that led to a 6-car, wrong-way crash on I-75 are now facing charges.
Last Thursday, a pickup truck with four occupants inside was pursued by police as it sped through Dayton highways in the wrong direction. New dashcam footage shows just how large scale that pursuit was.
New video shows wrong-way driver crashing into 5 cars on I-75
Cruiser video obtained from Perry Township law enforcement shows the 50-minute pursuit that led police from the outskirts of Dayton onto US-35 and then onto I-75.
The pursuit started in Perry Township, as police began pursuing a GMC Sierra truck in the early evening hours of June 5.
Dash camera footage features communication with a police helicopter overhead and the cruisers on the ground during the chase.
Police deployed stop sticks, but the GMC drove right over them, reportedly refusing to stop for officers.
The alleged driver has been identified as 46-year-old James Collins of Dayton.
The chase continued across township roads until the truck entered US-35, driving in the wrong direction against traffic.
That's when law enforcement noticed an occupant in the bed of the truck.
'Hey, there's actually somebody, in the bed of the pickup truck. White male, with gray shirt and black pants.' said one officer over the dashcam footage. 'Yeah, he's trying to dump boards, use caution guys, he's trying to dump boards on you.'
That man, identified as 49-year-old Thomas Downey of Dayton, was dumping items onto the road in an attempt to stop law enforcement, including planks of wood.
Dashcam confirms what officers have previously reported — the chase was stopped momentarily several times, both in the name of public safety, and to clean up the mess.
Once the truck made its way onto I-75, driving south in the northbound lanes, it was just minutes before a multi-vehicle crash occurred. The truck collided with five other vehicles, leaving several other people injured.
Four suspects fled the GMC truck, leading police on a short foot chase before they were all arrested and transported to the hospital.
Both Collins and Downey are facing three charges, including fleeing and eluding, vehicular assault and obstructing official business.
Charges for the other two passengers in the truck are currently under review.
2 NEWS will continue to follow this case.
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