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Man charged after police chase awaits grand jury

AUSTINTOWN – The man who allegedly attempted to avoid an OVI checkpoint in Austintown then took police on a high-speed pursuit awaits a grand jury decision after appearing in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

Jeffrey Hetherington, 25, of Glenwood Avenue, is in Mahoning County jail on a felony charge with $8,000 bond. He appeared before Judge Hunter Scott in Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown Wednesday where he was bound over to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. He first appeared in court Monday for an arraignment where his bond was set and he claimed to be indigent.

According to a police report, the driver of a red SUV attempted to avoid an OVI checkpoint by making a U-turn. When an officer began pursuing the car, the driver sped off and became airborne at the intersection of Red Apple Drive and Ohltown Road. The chase continued south on Ohltown Road, then eventually on state Route 46 into Canfield.

Once Canfield police began assisting, the driver went down several side streets before leading police to state Route 11 going southbound, where the report notes speeds reached almost 100 mph. Ohio State Patrol was notified and deployed stop sticks along route 11, which the driver hit, causing the car to eventually come to a stop on Interstate 680. At that time, police say they arrested Hetherington.

The car was towed and Hetherington was charged with failure to control, a felony, and several traffic violations, including driving under the influence.

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