Friday, June 5, 1998
The Associated Press
MOUNT GILEAD, Ohio -- A sport-utility vehicle crashed into a tree during a police chase Thursday, killing two Wooster teen-agers and injuring three others, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.
The pursuit began when troopers stopped the vehicle on Interstate 71 after receiving reports of a possible drunken driver. The driver, Monica D. Stevens, drove away as troopers approached, the patrol said.
The chase, at speeds up to 90 mph, lasted about seven miles. Ms. Stevens left the interstate at Ohio 61, then hit a guardrail and the tree.
Stephanie Meadows, 13, was pronounced dead at the scene and Angie D. Swain, 15, died at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, the patrol said. Both were passengers in the 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe. Passenger Gary Swain, 17, was in serious condition at Grant, while Ms. Stevens, 16, was in stable condition at Morrow County Hospital.
Passenger Joseph Stevens, 15, was treated and released.
The vehicle had been stolen from a car dealership, police said.
