The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

November 4, 2009

UPDATE: Charges held for court in high-speed chase, crash

By Matt Snyder

MERCER COUNTY — Charges have been held to court against a suspect who last week led police on a high-speed, 15-mile chase through residential areas and left police fearing for the life of their comrade.

Police testified Wednesday at a hearing for Jonathan E. Ackerman, 24, of Edinboro, that they tried to stop his vehicle last Friday on Interstate 79 for a possible parole violation, because the car fit a description of a possible parole violater from Crawford County.

Police told District Judge D. Neil McEwen, Pine Township, that when Ackerman was asked to step out of the car, he instead sped south and slammed the brakes several times with enough force that police believed he was trying to cause cruisers to wreck.

The chase continued onto U.S. Route 62 through a 35 mph zone in Jackson Center at speeds between 95 and 100 mph, trooper Eric R. Miller said.

In an attempt to stop the Ackerman car, trooper James J. Mason tried a “rolling road block,” in which his cruiser passed the Ackerman car and slowed down.

Ackerman never braked, Miller said, and his car hit the back of Mason’s cruiser, veered into some grass, swerved back onto the road and slammed into the cruiser, sending the trooper’s car flying into a ditch.

The cruiser shot 15 to 20 feet into the air before landing and rolling “over and over and over,” pieces of the vehicle flying as it went, Miller said.

“It was the worst crash I ever observed in person, and I thought trooper Mason was dead,” Miller said.

Miller said he continued chasing the Ackerman car, believing the pursuit had turned into a “different kind of case,” implying that he believed it had become a homicide.

He said he finally stopped the Ackerman car by rear-ending it, forcing the car into a spin. It slid, stopped and Ackerman surrendered, Miller said. Ackerman was treated for minor injuries at Grove City Medical Center, Youngstown.

Mason, who was treated at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown and said he has no scheduled follow-up visits, testified he remembers feeling Ackerman’s car hit the cruiser. He said he tried to steer and correct as the cruiser was pushed off the road. The next thing he said he remembers is waking up in his overturned cruiser, with police trying to help him.

After their testimony, McEwen held for court seven counts of reckless endangerment – one for each policeman involved in the chase, aggravated assault, fleeing police, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, resisting arrest, careless and reckless driving, accidents causing injury, accidents causing damage to other vehicles, failing to stop and render aid, and failing to give notice of accidents.

He was taken to Mercer County Jail after failing to post $100,000 bond.

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