Wednesday, April 21, 1999

Burglary suspect dies in wreck

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Driver fired shots on 100 mph chase

BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Deputies converse near the wrecked pickup on Cincinnati-Dayton Road. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        MONROE — After leading authorities on a 20-minute high-speed chase, a burglary suspect died Tuesday afternoon when his pickup truck hit the edge of a driveway in Monroe and flipped.

        During the chase, which reached speeds up to 100 mph, the man fired several shots at an Ohio Highway patrolman who was pursuing him, said Lt. Tim Bally, commander of the patrol's Hamilton post.

        The patrol identified the man as Tony Potter, 33, of Batavia. He was airlifted to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.

        A man broke into a house about 3:20 p.m. on Todhunter Road in Monroe, Police Chief Ernest Howard said. While the man was still inside the house, a neighbor called 911 with a description of the man's truck and his license plate number, he said.

        The man left the house with jewelry and other items and drove south on Interstate

        75, Chief Howard said.

        Near the Ohio 63 interchange, Ohio State Highway Patrolman Timothy Keels tried to stop him for speeding. But the suspect sped away, Chief Howard said.

        While chasing him, Patrolman Keels learned from the patrol dispatcher that the man was a burglary suspect, Lt. Bally said.

        The man drove west on I-275, turned south on Princeton-Glendale Road in the Tri-County Mall area. He struck Patrolman Keels' cruiser with his truck and went north on Princeton-Glendale, Lt. Bally said.

        He turned east on Tylersville Road and turned north on Cincinnati-Dayton Road, which becomes South Main Street in Monroe.

        At some point, he fired shots at Trooper Keeler, but missed him, Lt. Bally said. “We told our guy to back off him because we had a plane overhead that was tracking him,” he said.

        Another pickup had begun to turn north onto Cincinnati-Dayton from Stillpass Way as the suspect approached at a speed Chief Howard estimated about 100 mph.

        The man swerved left to avoid the other pickup, then moved right to avoid oncoming traffic. He drove through two residents' front yards when he hit the edge of a driveway and flipped over, Lt. Bally said.

        The man was thrown through the car's side window, he said.

       

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