Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com.


Ingham County Sheriff's Office Press Release:

Just ahead of noon today, Ingham 911 received the first of several calls of a reckless driver westbound I-96 near the Ingham/Livingston County line. Callers described a light green older model Ford Crown Victoria traveling at excessive speeds, weaving between motorists, and passing vehicles on the shoulder along I-96 and US 127.

At 12:45pm, Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth responded to US127 South upon a new report of this vehicle traveling north from Covert Road in the S/B lanes. He spotted the vehicle N/B from Kipp Road. Other Ingham County units located the vehicle, as described by earlier reports, and observed reckless operation.

The driver failed to yield to emergency lights and sirens, fleeing from deputies, N/B 127 to E/B I-96. The lone male occupant nearly caused crashes becoming too dangerous and the pursuit was terminated near Williamston Road. This driver and vehicle were located by another Ingham County Unit at I-96 and M-52 where it exited S/B and again failed to yield to our deputy’s efforts to stop him. Due to his dangerous driving the pursuit was again terminated. The subject and vehicle were last seen S/B M-52 near Holt Road.

At 1:30pm Ingham 911 dispatched a report of a W/M in his 50’s forcing entry into a home in the area of M-52 and Milner, Leroy Township. The female caller reported this stranger, threatened to kill her and demanded the keys to her vehicle. The man left in the victim’s older model white GMC pickup truck. Several police units were still in the area and would soon locate the same male in the stolen truck N/B M-52 approaching I-96. Again, Ingham County Deputies attempted to stop the man in the stolen truck, however, he fled N/B to Grand River Ave (M-43), then E/B toward the Village of Webberville. Units stopped pursuing in light of the man’s extremely dangerous vehicle operation but remained in the Village of Webberville to watch for him.

By this time, the Michigan State Police (MSP) helicopter arrived in our vicinity. At approximately 1:45pm Ingham Deputies once again located the male suspect in the stolen truck traveling E/B through the Webberville Village on Grand River. Our deputies followed it E/B into Livingston County while awaiting more assistance from MSP and Livingston County Units. MSP Emergency Services Troopers, Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Ingham County Sheriff’s Deputies attempted to stop the suspect again in Fowlerville. The suspect and stolen truck fled E/B Grand River with MSP and Livingston taking the lead.

Livingston authorities successfully employed tire deflation devices, flattening two of the truck's tires. The suspect’s flight ultimately ended east of Howell where it collided with another vehicle. All persons involved in this crash sustained minor injuries. The suspect’s green Ford Crown Victoria was located, by the Sheriff, abandoned a short distance away from the victim’s residence.
The suspect, a 60-year-old Genesee County man, was taken into custody by Livingston County and MSP. The suspect was taken to a Lansing area hospital for evaluation. He has been arrested and will be held at the Ingham County Correctional Facility on several felony charges. This investigation will be presented to the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office in the next couple of days.

Sheriff Wriggelsworth is grateful that the home invasion and robbery victim was not physically harmed. He also applauds another example of interagency cooperation, successfully taking a dangerous criminal off the street and this incident to a successful conclusion.

A separate press release from the Livingston County Sheriff's Office is attached.