The semi truck driver held hostage suffered minor injuries and also was taken to Miami Valley Hospital. Additional information on how the driver was injured was not available Thursday.
Body and dash camera footage from London police shows the traffic incident about 50 miles east of Dayton that led up to the chase and hostage incident.
Around 1 a.m. Wednesday, a London police officer stopped a minivan with no rear lights or visible registration, according to the department.
The Helmans told officers they were on their way back from a hospital, according to body cam footage. They didn’t have IDs and were unable to provide their Social Security numbers.
The pair claimed the woman’s purse was stolen, which had the man’s wallet inside, they said.
After giving the officer names — which did match the coroner’s identification — and an address, the pair drove off. They went to a truck stop and fled on foot before taking a semi truck without trailer that had an occupant inside, according to police.
They drove away in the semi truck, hitting a London police cruiser. No officers were injured.
Troopers and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office responded to join police in the chase, which went through Clark County.
Maximum speeds were around 60 to 65 mph, Chief Glenn Nicol said Wednesday.
The pursuit ended around 3:30 a.m. on Dayton International Airport Access Road between U.S. 40 and I-70, said OSHP Lt. Nathan Dennis. OSHP’s Special Response Team and members of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office hostage and negotiation team used cellphones to speak to the suspects in an attempt to bring the incident to a peaceful end, he said.
About four hours later, troopers approached the semi truck to get the hostage. The suspects shot at the troopers, who returned fire, Dennis said. Both suspects were shot and taken to Miami Valley Hospital.
It is not clear how many shots were fired nor how many troopers used their weapons. There were more than a dozen bullet holes in the windshield of the semi truck.
Troopers involved in the shooting are on critical incident leave, which is a paid leave, according to OSHP.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the officer-involved shooting, said Steve Irwin, a spokesperson for BCI.
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