CINCINNATI — A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries Tuesday afternoon when a suspect drove through an intersection and crashed into her vehicle after a short-lived police pursuit.
The pursuit began before 1 p.m., after the suspect threatened another individual with a weapon. That person called police, who located the suspect’s Ford Fusion and pursued it, according to Lt. Steve Saunders. Officers halted the chase when it reached high speeds near the intersection of May and Crown streets.
"Once they realized they're not able to stay up with the vehicle, they pulled back, and the vehicle disregarded the red light," he said.
The suspect, later identified as 32-year-old Michale Shelton, was driving south on May Street when police said he ran through a red light. At the intersection, he struck and flipped a Pontiac Vibe heading east on William Howard Taft Road.
Police said the woman driving the Pontiac sustained life-threatening injuries in the Tuesday crash. She is still listed in critical condition at UC Hospital, and Shelton was also hospitalized in serious condition.
Shelton faces charges of vehicular assault and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer.
Neither driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, police said.
Any witnesses to the crash are asked to contact the Cincinnati Police Department’s Traffic Unit at (513) 352-2514.
