YOUNGSTOWN — A Girard man suffered a broken leg when he crashed his car head-on into another vehicle on Interstate 680 on Wednesday night while driving the wrong way.

Youngstown police said Matthew Hall, 43, of Crumlin Avenue, crashed near the South Avenue exit about 8:30 p.m. The crash caused a large fire.

When officers reached the crash, they saw Hall exiting his vehicle and lying on the ground. He was uncooperative with police and did not provide answers to their questions, such as his name, according to a police report.

Because of his behavior, an officer suspected Hall was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Hall was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for treatment.

An officer spoke with him again, and he again did not cooperate, police said.

Police said they expected to charge Hall with several offenses, but no new charges were on file Thursday in Youngstown Municipal Court.

The driver of the other car was identified as a Vienna Township man, 73, who was taken to the hospital but suffered minor injuries.

Shortly before the crash, Boardman police say they chased the car after several drivers called 911 to report seeing it driving north in the southbound lanes of I-680 between Western Reserve Road and U.S. Route 224.

The Boardman officers responded just before 8:30 p.m. As one officer merged onto I-680 traveling south, “almost immediately” a vehicle passed going north in the southbound lane “causing other vehicles to move out of the way,” the police report states.

The officer turned his cruiser around and started following the vehicle with emergency lights and sirens activated.

During the pursuit, Youngstown police were called for assistance.

The vehicle weaved, although not traveling at a high speed, causing oncoming traffic to stop or get out of the way, the report states.

Boardman officers terminated the chase near the Cooper Street exit in Youngstown almost five minutes after receiving the initial call — before it crashed in the city.

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