North Ridgeville man leads police on multi-county high-speed chase

A North Ridgeville man led state troopers and police on a 75- to 80-mile chase overnight Sunday at speeds that reached 100 mph several times before ending in Delaware County when spiked strips disabled his pickup, authorities said.

George Tiller, 33, was charged with fleeing and eluding, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, failure to control and reckless operation, according to Lt. Eric Sheppard of the Cleveland post of the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Tiller was detained in Delaware County Jail from early Sunday until Tuesday afternoon when he posted bail, according to Sheppard, who said Tiller had multiple prior OVI convictions.

“He was noticeably intoxicated,” Sheppard said of Tiller’s condition when he was arrested following the seven-county chase.

The chase began about 1:15 a.m. Sunday when Brook Park police tried to pull over Tiller for speeding on Interstate 480.

Tiller, who was driving a Ford F-150, instead crashed the vehicle into a concrete barrier and kept driving as he entered Interstate 71 and drove south, according to Sheppard.

Brook Park police pursued Tiller into Ashland County where state troopers from the Ashland patrol post joined the pursuit.

Brook Park police broke off their pursuit of Tiller near the Medina-Wayne County line, Sheppard said.

Tiller’s speed was clocked in excess of 100 mph by Ashland troopers in the vicinity of U.S. Route 250, Sheppard said.

The Cleveland officer pointed out the good fortune of having very light traffic on Interstate 71 early Sunday.

“He (Tiller) was running at or close to 90 to 100 mph on a three-lane interstate with very minimal traffic during this entire time,” Sheppard said. “If that type of activity occurred at another time (during daytime hours) we probably would not have been as fortunate.”

Because the chase was mainly confined to rural portions of the interstate, authorities opted to continue the pursuit, Sheppard said.

State troopers from the Mansfield post in Richland County put spiked strips across the highway near the Ashland-Richland County line.

The devices, which embed themselves into vehicles’ tires to create a controlled deflation, failed to stop or slow Tiller, Sheppard said. The pickup also wasn’t slowed by a second set.

“Both times he was able to maneuver around them,” Sheppard said.

Continuing through Morrow County, Tiller’s vehicle was brought to a halt by a third set put across the interstate in Delaware County. The tires on the left side of the F-150 deflated, according to Sheppard.

“He eventually lost control and traveled into the median where he hit a metal cable used as a divider,” Sheppard said.

Tiller ran from the pickup but was apprehended about 2:15 a.m. by Columbus police who had driven north to join the pursuit.

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