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Driver does laps on track |
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Friday, 13 March 2009 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
WAPAKONETA — A Wapakoneta man on a joy ride around the dirt track at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds was taken into police custody late Wednesday morning after he refused to stop.
Chris Staley, 26, 817 W. Plum St., wasn’t driving at a high rate of speed as he made laps around the track and he did not cause much damage other than a few fixable ruts, Wapakoneta Police Chief Dave Webb said.
“We were trying to get him to stop and he would just wave or hold up his pack of cigarettes like it was a badge as he passed by,” Webb said. “He was just driving around. I don’t know why he was driving around the track, but he said he didn’t want to stop until he talked to someone. He was just acting strange.”
The caretaker of the fairgrounds called for police assistance at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday at 1013 W. Auglaize St., after already trying unsuccessfully to get the driver to stop.
When Staley refused to obey police orders to stop, they laid stop sticks and blew out three of his tires.
He wasn’t injured and left the 1995 Ford hatchback without incident.
After a quick evaluation at the Auglaize County Jail, Staley was transported to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima for further evaluation and treatment.
Misdemeanor charges of failure to obey police officers and trespassing have been filed but are on hold until Staley is released from the hospital, Webb said.
“We’re lucky we got him stopped before he ended up anywhere else causing problems or damage,” Webb said.
Officers were called to the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office earlier that day, at 1:30 a.m., after Staley showed up in the lobby barefoot and dressed only in boxers. He was carrying an iPod.
“No one knew why he was there, but he was acting strangely,” Webb said.
A dispatcher called for assistance, and officers took him home.
Webb said officers have dealt with Staley in the past but not for several years and not in this capacity.
“Every once in a while we get reports of someone driving around the track, but a lot of times we get there and they’re gone,” Webb said. “This is a very rare situation involving other issues.” |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 17 March 2009 )
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