It started as an attempt to pull a stolen SUV over the night of Oct. 16, 2020, and almost immediately it turned into a pursuit from Butler into Warren County.The pursuit went from streets of Franklin, Ohio, where the car was originally stolen, to State Route 73, to State Route 741 and eventually down southbound I-75. The suspect, 23-year-old Chelsey Saylor, was weaving across lanes of traffic.Sgt. Nathan Ward with Ohio Highway State Patrol joined the pursuit and attempted to deploy stop sticks. He had to jump out of the way of the vehicle, which nearly killed him.“I was trying to anticipate which way the vehicle was going to swerve. I wasn't sure if she was going to hit the patrol car or not. Luckily, she missed. She swerved enough to the right that it missed me and the patrol car,” Ward said.More troopers were joining in the chase and were waiting down the road including Sgt. Jeffrey Staples.“I threw out stop sticks at that point and the vehicle's left side tires struck the stop sticks which deflated the tires on the vehicle and shortly after that the vehicle spun out,” Ward said.The entire chase lasted around 15 minutes until the car finally spun out on the interstate in Butler County. Multiple troopers approached the car. Trooper Michael Shuler tailed the suspect the whole time and was the one to break the passenger side window to unlock the vehicle's doors.“At first it was my belief it was an intentional act driving in such a way, but as the pursuit continued, when it ultimately came to an end, we realized it was drug induced,” Shuler said.When Troopers got to Saylor, she was unresponsive. She was handcuffed and laid on the ground as troopers prepared to give her first aid and give her the overdose reversal drug, Narcan. According to troopers, even though Saylor was unresponsive, patients who receive Narcan can become violent as the drug wakes them up, so she was handcuffed for the safety of troopers and herself. Troopers say she did not have a pulse at first. After a couple of doses, a faint pulse was detected. More doses of Narcan were given and her pulse got stronger until after nine doses she regained consciousness.“The swift actions and teamwork by these gentlemen saved the life of the suspect,” Wilmington District Commander Captain Marty Fellure said. “If they would not have reacted as quickly as they did, the outcome may not have been favorable for the suspect.“She's alive today because of these guys here,” Ward said.Along with Ward, Staples and Shuler, the Ohio State Highway Patrol recognized Trooper Tyler Ross, Trooper Axel Lewis and Trooper Jacob Kunka for their heroic actions that October night.
It started as an attempt to pull a stolen SUV over the night of Oct. 16, 2020, and almost immediately it turned into a pursuit from Butler into Warren County.
The pursuit went from streets of Franklin, Ohio, where the car was originally stolen, to State Route 73, to State Route 741 and eventually down southbound I-75. The suspect, 23-year-old Chelsey Saylor, was weaving across lanes of traffic.
Sgt. Nathan Ward with Ohio Highway State Patrol joined the pursuit and attempted to deploy stop sticks. He had to jump out of the way of the vehicle, which nearly killed him.
“I was trying to anticipate which way the vehicle was going to swerve. I wasn't sure if she was going to hit the patrol car or not. Luckily, she missed. She swerved enough to the right that it missed me and the patrol car,” Ward said.
More troopers were joining in the chase and were waiting down the road including Sgt. Jeffrey Staples.
“I threw out stop sticks at that point and the vehicle's left side tires struck the stop sticks which deflated the tires on the vehicle and shortly after that the vehicle spun out,” Ward said.
The entire chase lasted around 15 minutes until the car finally spun out on the interstate in Butler County. Multiple troopers approached the car. Trooper Michael Shuler tailed the suspect the whole time and was the one to break the passenger side window to unlock the vehicle's doors.
“At first it was my belief it was an intentional act driving in such a way, but as the pursuit continued, when it ultimately came to an end, we realized it was drug induced,” Shuler said.
When Troopers got to Saylor, she was unresponsive. She was handcuffed and laid on the ground as troopers prepared to give her first aid and give her the overdose reversal drug, Narcan.
According to troopers, even though Saylor was unresponsive, patients who receive Narcan can become violent as the drug wakes them up, so she was handcuffed for the safety of troopers and herself.
Troopers say she did not have a pulse at first. After a couple of doses, a faint pulse was detected. More doses of Narcan were given and her pulse got stronger until after nine doses she regained consciousness.
“The swift actions and teamwork by these gentlemen saved the life of the suspect,” Wilmington District Commander Captain Marty Fellure said. “If they would not have reacted as quickly as they did, the outcome may not have been favorable for the suspect.
“She's alive today because of these guys here,” Ward said.
Along with Ward, Staples and Shuler, the Ohio State Highway Patrol recognized Trooper Tyler Ross, Trooper Axel Lewis and Trooper Jacob Kunka for their heroic actions that October night.
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