2 indicted of pursuit ending in wrong-way crash on I-75
Jun. 13—Two men have been indicted after they were accused of fleeing from police and causing a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 75.
James Robert Collins, 46, of Dayton and Thomas Russell Downey, 49, of Fairborn, were each indicted in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court on charges of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and obstructing official business. Collis was also indicted for one county of vehicular assault.
According to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office, their charges stem from June 5, 2025.
That evening, Collins was driving a GMC Sierra with no visible registration when a Perry Twp. police officer tried to pull the pickup truck over at Wolf Creek Pike and Diamond Mill Road, according to an affidavit filed in Montgomery County Municipal Court Western Division.
Downey was riding in the truck bed, and there were two passengers in the truck, though the passengers are not facing charges.
The pickup fled, but was tracked by an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter.
During the pursuit, Downey started throwing lumber out of the bed of the truck, the affidavit said.
The prosecutor's office said that law enforcement successfully deployed stop stick tire deflation devices on Little Richmond Road near Ohio 49.
However, Collins managed to regain control while driving on rims, the affidavit said.
He drove the pickup truck on the wrong side of the road on U.S. 35 West and on I-75 North, followed by deputies with lights and sirens activated, according to the sheriff's office.
On I-75 at Dryden Road, the pickup truck crashed into another vehicle head-on, causing a crash that involved six vehicles.
All four people in the pickup fled on foot but were taken into custody, the sheriff's office said.
The prosecutor's office said that four people were injured and taken to the hospital, one of which was seriously hurt.
They added that Collins' driver's license was suspended at the time.
Collins and Downey are scheduled to be arraigned June 26.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
2 area men indicted after pursuit ending in wrong-way crash on I-75
Jun. 14—Two men have been indicted after they were accused of fleeing from police and causing a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 75. James Robert Collins, 46, of Dayton and Thomas Russell Downey, 49, of Fairborn, were each indicted in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court on charges of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and obstructing official business. Collis was also indicted for one county of vehicular assault. According to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office, their charges stem from June 5, 2025. That evening, Collins was driving a GMC Sierra with no visible registration when a Perry Twp. police officer tried to pull the pickup truck over at Wolf Creek Pike and Diamond Mill Road, according to an affidavit filed in Montgomery County Municipal Court Western Division. Downey was riding in the truck bed, and there were two passengers in the truck, though the passengers are not facing charges. The pickup fled, but was tracked by an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter. During the pursuit, Downey started throwing lumber out of the bed of the truck, the affidavit said. The prosecutor's office said that law enforcement successfully deployed stop stick tire deflation devices on Little Richmond Road near Ohio 49. However, Collins managed to regain control while driving on rims, the affidavit said. He drove the pickup truck on the wrong side of the road on U.S. 35 West and on I-75 North, followed by deputies with lights and sirens activated, according to the sheriff's office. On I-75 at Dryden Road, the pickup truck crashed into another vehicle head-on, causing a crash that involved six vehicles. All four people in the pickup fled on foot but were taken into custody, the sheriff's office said. The prosecutor's office said that four people were injured and taken to the hospital, one of which was seriously hurt. They added that Collins' driver's license was suspended at the time. Collins and Downey are scheduled to be arraigned June 26.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
2 indicted of pursuit ending in wrong-way crash on I-75
Jun. 13—Two men have been indicted after they were accused of fleeing from police and causing a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 75. James Robert Collins, 46, of Dayton and Thomas Russell Downey, 49, of Fairborn, were each indicted in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court on charges of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and obstructing official business. Collis was also indicted for one county of vehicular assault. According to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office, their charges stem from June 5, 2025. That evening, Collins was driving a GMC Sierra with no visible registration when a Perry Twp. police officer tried to pull the pickup truck over at Wolf Creek Pike and Diamond Mill Road, according to an affidavit filed in Montgomery County Municipal Court Western Division. Downey was riding in the truck bed, and there were two passengers in the truck, though the passengers are not facing charges. The pickup fled, but was tracked by an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter. During the pursuit, Downey started throwing lumber out of the bed of the truck, the affidavit said. The prosecutor's office said that law enforcement successfully deployed stop stick tire deflation devices on Little Richmond Road near Ohio 49. However, Collins managed to regain control while driving on rims, the affidavit said. He drove the pickup truck on the wrong side of the road on U.S. 35 West and on I-75 North, followed by deputies with lights and sirens activated, according to the sheriff's office. On I-75 at Dryden Road, the pickup truck crashed into another vehicle head-on, causing a crash that involved six vehicles. All four people in the pickup fled on foot but were taken into custody, the sheriff's office said. The prosecutor's office said that four people were injured and taken to the hospital, one of which was seriously hurt. They added that Collins' driver's license was suspended at the time. Collins and Downey are scheduled to be arraigned June 26.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Body camera shows moments before Dayton officer shot armed man
Jun. 13—Dayton police released body camera footage showing the moments leading up to an incident in which an officer shot a man armed with a handgun Thursday afternoon. The officer fired one shot, Dayton police Chief Kamran Afzal said. The man is in stable condition at the hospital as of Friday afternoon. Afzal said it appeared the man was trying to get away from police when he was shot. The incident started around 1 p.m. when Dayton officers received a FLOC license plate reader hit for a stolen vehicle. An Ohio State Highway Patrol aviation unit was helping direct police to the vehicle. OSHP alerted Dayton police to an interaction between a pickup truck and the stolen vehicle, Afzal said. Police radio traffic played during a media briefing Friday indicated there was a hand gesture between the drivers. At Miller Avenue and Redmond Place, a man in a pickup truck with a trailer reportedly attempted to block police. Body camera footage showed an officer get out of the police cruiser with their gun drawn and order the driver to exit the truck and show his hands multiple times. "At some point he does get out of the vehicle with what appears to be a handgun in his right hand and runs," Afzal said Thursday. "The officers engage him at that point and one of our officers discharged his handgun." The officer briefly ran after the man and told him to drop the at gun at least once before they shot the man. "It appears, and again this is part of the criminal investigation, that he was shot right around the time as he's running with his handgun and looking back at the officer," the chief said Friday. The man, who is in his mid-20s, had a 9mm Glock 19x. There were 11 live rounds and one in the chamber, Afzal said. Officers requested medics at 1:11 p.m. and began providing medical care. Medics arrived at 1:19 p.m. and left to transport the man to the hospital at 1:25 p.m. They arrived at the hospital at 1:35 p.m., according to the police timeline. Afzal said Friday he was told the man was going to be released from the hospital. Charges are expected and could include having weapons while under disability, obstructing justice and possession of illegal narcotics. The man previously was convicted of receiving stolen property, failure to comply with an order of a police officer and attempt to commit trespass in a habitation, the chief said. The officer who shot the man has nine years of service with eight commendations and no disciplinary record. Police found the stolen vehicle, which was stolen out of Warren County. The suspected driver was taken into custody on Pomeroy Avenue and transported to the hospital due to concerns they were having an overdose, Afzal said. Information from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office indicated the man in the pickup truck and the person in the stolen vehicle know each other, the chief said. Additional information about their relationship or what happened during their interaction prior to the shooting was not available. Afzal said Dayton officers using deadly force isn't common and typically a few incidents occur a year. "This is not something that is normal for us," he said. "The perspective I got, from not just the officer who discharged the firearm but the other officer, is it shook them. (It) does affect our officers quite a bit and understandably so." The officers involved will speak to the department's doctor, the chief added. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is handling the criminal investigation. Once it's completed the Dayton Police Department Professional Standards Bureau will conduct an administrative investigation.
