Pike County Sheriff's Office responds to crash, 2 pursuits in one afternoon
Pike County Sheriff Tracy D. Evans reports that on Thursday, May 23, a series of unrelated events, including a car accident and two separate pursuits, took place within the county.
At 1:31 p.m., an accident occurred at the intersection of U.S. 32 and S.R. 220 where a car and a semi-tractor-trailer collided. Pike County deputies responded to the scene and identified a 27-year-old female, Grace York of McArthur, who was operating a 2014 Kia.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol, Portsmouth Ambulance, Piketon Fire Department and Pike County EMA were all called to the scene to access the semi-tractor-trailer driver and a 200-gallon diesel fuel leak from the truck.
No serious injuries were reported, and York was self-transported to Adena Regional for medical observation as a precaution.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., two independent pursuits ensued at the same time on opposite ends of the county.
At 3:38 p.m., the first pursuit was called into the Pike County Sheriff’s Office by the Waverly Police Department, as they were pursuing a white single-axle dump truck with no visible plates. Pike County deputies were dispatched to the area of Prosperity Road, where the pursuit continued into Ross County.
Ross County deputies were also called to assist, along with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The pursuit continued onto various roads, in and out of Pike and Ross counties. The pursuit lasted about an hour as the driver of the truck allegedly kept avoiding stop sticks, at one point allegedly striking a Waverly PD cruiser.
The pursuit finally came to an end on Hartwood Road in Ross County, where the driver allegedly fled on foot from the truck. Stacie Stepp, 30, of Chillicothe was then quickly apprehended without further incident and taken into custody.
Stepp will be facing numerous felony charges in both Pike and Ross counties. He was placed in the Gallia County Jail on charges for failure to comply, and pending charges in Ross County for felonious assault on a peace officer.
A second pursuit was called in by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, where they, Oak Hill Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol Jackson Post were pursuing a green 1999 Ford F-150 for alleged failure to comply and fictitious plates into Pike County.
Pike County deputies were dispatched, and the pursuit ended on the 2200 block of Salem Cave Road without injury. Christopher Greene, 40, of Beaver was detained and taken into custody.
Green was placed in jail in Jackson County for failure to comply, failure to register plates and reckless operation.
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