Brief pursuit ends in crash, fire

CHILLICOTHE – A Chillicothe teen was taken to a Columbus hospital following a crash that ended a brief pursuit about 3 a.m. Sunday.

According to the Ohio Highway Patrol, troopers attempted to stop what was determined to be a stolen 1999 Chevrolet Trailblazer for speed and vehicle defects when it was spotted on Ohio 104 near milepost 16. The driver, identified as 17-year-old Tommy Thomas of Chillicothe, fled from Ohio 104 to Ohio 207 before striking a guardrail, ramping over a fence into a field, overturning and catching on fire at the intersection with Hospital Road.

Troopers were able to extract Thomas from the vehicle and he was transported to Adena Regional Medical Center by Green Township EMS. He was later taken to Grant Medical Center by Portsmouth Ambulance. Authorities are investigating possible contributing factors to the incident.

The patrol was assisted on the scene by the Green Township Fire Department, Ohio Department of Transportation, and Chillicothe Police. The crash remains under investigation.