MONDAY, JANUARY 298, 2001
High-speed chase begins over loud exhaust
A Saturday afternoon car chase involving Tiffin police, a state trooper, a sheriff's deputy and a Fremont man led to the arrest of the man whose original offense was a loud exhaust.
William F. Bailey, 26, Fremont, was arrested on charges of failing to comply with a police officer's signal, having a loud exhaust, commiting a red-light violation and violating a temporary permit Saturday afternoon after a chase through Tiffin and onto SR 53 that exceeded 100 mph.
According to the police report, Officer Shawn Vallery had intended to stop the maroon vehicle after he noticed its loud exhaust as it was heading west on West Market Street. After following the car for a short distance while he checked the the license number through the dispatcher, Vallery turned on his overhead light to signal that he wanted the driver to stop. Vallery then heard the vehicle accelerate and decided the driver was going to try to outrun him.
Vallery turned on his siren, but the driver accelerated as he led the officer through downtown Tiffin at speeds of more than 60 mph.
By the time the driver reached CR 53, his speed had surpassed 80 mph and was approaching 100 mph. He was passing several cars at a time, and Vallery alerted several police units which joined the pursuit.
The driver remained northbound on SR 53 and eventually lost control of his vehicle and ended up in a field. He regained control of the vehicle, however, and began to drive northbound in the field for several yards.
Vallery noticed a state trooper had joined the pursuit at that time.
While trying to return to SR 53, the driver hit the edge of a driveway and flew into the air, landing in the middle of SR 53 with traffic coming at him in both directions.
The driver regained control of his vehicle, then continued driving northbound. He then made a sudden U-turn on SR 53, began driving south and drove into a yard where he continued for about 100 yards. From there he drove into a driveway, where police cornered him.
After returning to the station, police discovered that Bailey was driving with a temporary permit and that he had no insurance. A domestic violence charge was all his record revealed.
Bailey said he fled because he didn't have a driver's license and, realizing his exhaust was too loud, was afraid of being caught.
Police decided to charge him with what they call felony fleeing, in addition to the other three charges, due to the substantial risk to people or property his reckless driving caused.
The driver ran over a sign at SR 53 and CR 38, for which the Ohio State Patrol made out an accident report. No one was hurt.
Bailey was being held at the Seneca County Jail without bond.