COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Division of Police released multiple dash camera videos showing a chase between two teenagers in a stolen Hyundai and more than a dozen law enforcement officers earlier this week.
The police chase began near the John Glenn International Airport with the Whitehall Division of Police but moved into the southwest side of Columbus around 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday.
At 1:32 p.m., the teenage driver made a sudden U-turn at Clime Road near River Bend Road. A Columbus police cruiser struck the side of the Hyundai, caving in the passenger side door and deploying the airbags. Before that collision, the driver-side door had visible damage but it's unclear if that occurred during the chase.
The chase continued on Clime Road and throughout the Hilltop neighborhood before eventually ending up on Clime Road again. Officers could be seen using spike strips, but the teen was able to avoid them.
After the teens got back onto Demorest Road, they drove through a shopping center parking lot. A police officer rammed into the back of the Hyundai as it got back onto the road, causing the rear bumper to fall off. The officer hit the bumper again and the Hyundai spun out into a different Columbus police cruiser. The Hyundai, despite being hit again, was able to escape.
The chase continued down to a construction site on Eakin Road where officers had trouble keeping up with the vehicle and could be heard saying they couldn't see.
After driving out of the neighborhood, the Hyundai went down a dirt road on West Mound Street. An officer was able to use another pit maneuver and the Hyundai crashed into a tree. Officers took the teens into custody.
Both have a history with stolen cars.
“Stolen cars have become an increasing problem in Franklin County. This is also considering the severity in nature of the incident, the amount of people who were impacted by it, community members who could have been impacted by the incident,” the prosecutor said in court.
Both teens are being held in juvenile detention until their next hearing.