Woman begins police chase with detective still in car

NEWARK – A Newark woman was arrested Monday afternoon after leading deputies on a short chase.

Amanda R. Null, 22, last known address 9040 Hirst Road, was charged Tuesday in Licking County Common Pleas Court with third-degree felony fleeing.

According to court records, a Licking County Sheriff’s Office detective working in Newark was told about two people using heroin in a vehicle. When the detective approached the vehicle, he saw a woman, later identified as Null, in the driver’s seat and a man in the passenger’s seat reportedly with a knife in his hand.

“The defendant had a loaded syringe in her hand and a black phone charger tied around her left arm as a tourniquet,” court records stated.

The passenger reportedly had a bag of what was suspected to be brown powder heroin. The detective knocked on the window and told the pair to stop and keep their hands visible.

Court records state Null took the phone charger off her arm and reached under the seat. The detective reached into the vehicle and Null reportedly moved toward the gear shifter, putting the vehicle in gear and driving forward with the detective in the vehicle.

“In her attempt to get away, (Null) crashed the vehicle into a concrete block and fence,” court records show. “She then put the vehicle in reverse and fled the area.”

A short pursuit began, with speeds reaching more than 90 mph and Null reportedly nearly hitting a vehicle head-on. Shortly after the pursuit began Null reportedly slowed down her vehicle to allow the passenger to get out, at which point deputies were able to apprehend both.

Deputies who later searched the vehicle reportedly found 12 syringes and heroin in Null’s purse as well as the loaded syringe Null had reportedly been holding when the detective first made contact with her.

Null appeared before Licking County Common Pleas Magistrate Mattie Klein for a bond hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Null’s bond was set at $50,000. Her case will be heard in the coming weeks by a grand jury for consideration of other charges.

Lt. Paul Cortwright, of the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force, said the male passenger is not facing charges at this time, but charges could be filed at a later date.