UPDATE: Spencer Puckett, 28, of Springfield, has been identified as the motorist involved in a high-speed pursuit with deputies from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday, Nov. 26, that resulted in a crash in Jefferson Township.
He has reportedly been released from the hospital following the crash and lodged in the Logan County Jail on multiple charges including theft and failure to comply.
The high-speed chase began when deputies attempted to stop Puckett for speeding on County Road 55 but he fled, leading law enforcement on a pursuit through rural Bellefontaine.
The incident began around 9:10 a.m. when a deputy observed a blackFord Fusion traveling 64 mph in a 55 mph zone near the 3700 block of C.R. 55. The deputy activated his lights to initiate a traffic stop, but Puckett did not stop and instead performed a U-turn and accelerated northbound. Speeds during the chase exceeded 100 mph, with Puckett running a stop sign at the intersection of county roads 55 and 10, narrowly avoiding a collision.
The pursuit ended near Township Road 184 when Puckett lost control of the vehicle while trying to navigate a curve. The Ford Fusion struck a utility pole and overturned, coming to rest upside down in a field. Deputies arrived to find Puckett attempting to break a window to escape. A dog inside the vehicle was safely recovered by the Logan County Dog Warden.
Puckett reportedly admitted to fleeing because he lacked a driver’s license and was scared. Deputies discovered the Ford Fusion had been reported stolen from a dealership in Springfield. Inside the vehicle, deputies also found drug paraphernalia, including a glass pipe and a needle, which were seized as evidence.
Puckett was treated at Mary Rutan Hospital for minor injuries and later transported to the jail. He was charged with failure to comply, receiving stolen property and multiple traffic citations including speeding; failure to control; disobeying a traffic control device; and reckless operation.
The Logan County Prosecutor’s Office and Springfield Police Department will review the case. The stolen vehicle, owned by Coachworks Auto Sales in Springfield, was impounded for processing.
Damaged utility lines and a broken pole belonging to United Telephone were cleared from the roadway by utility crews.
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ORIGINAL STORY: A Springfield man suspected of stealing a vehicle during a test drive from a Springfield-area car dealership was hospitalized Tuesday, Nov. 26, after crashing the car shortly after 9 a.m. in Jefferson Township.
Shortly before the crash, the driver fled from from Logan County Sheriff deputies during an attempted traffic stop on T.R. 55 between county roads 10 and 29.
The crash occurred near the intersection of township roads 55 and 184. Deputies report the man was driving a Ford car taken from the dealership three days earlier. He reportedly never returned the car after taking it for a test drive.
The single-vehicle accident resulted in a rollover, which brought down a utility pole and power lines in the area. The driver and his dog reportedly were trapped in the wreckage for a time. The dog was not injured.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was transported to Mary Rutan Hospital by Tri-Valley EMS for treatment. He will be lodged in the Logan County Jail when he’s released from the hospital.
Deputies are still investigating.
Video from the crash scene is available on the Examiner’s Facebook page.
