45-minute police chase nets 2 captures

Thomas Peterson was run over by his own minivan, police said.
YOUNGSTOWN -- A chase that started as an attempted traffic stop of a minivan by Youngstown police about 4:25 p.m. Sunday at South and Indianola avenues, ended 45 minutes later in a wooded area in Unity Township with the capture of two Columbiana County men.
The chase wound through several jurisdictions including Youngstown, Campbell, Struthers, Poland Village, Boardman and Springfield townships and East Palestine.
The driver of the minivan, Thomas Peterson, 41, of Farr Street, Rogers, was injured when he got out of his vehicle while it was moving and it ran over him, said Youngstown patrolman Brad DiTullio. He was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center.
DiTullio had attempted to stop Peterson because of expired plates that belonged to another vehicle, a police report says.
Woman tossed from vehicle
Early in the chase, DiTullio said a female passenger was thrown from the minivan at South and Lucius avenues, and that the van hit a vehicle on Zedakar Street. Peterson then backed up and struck DiTullio's cruiser, police said.
Peterson and his passenger, Nicholas Rhodes, 32, of North Pearl Street, Columbiana, ran after their van stopped on a back road in Unity, police said. After about a 300-yard foot chase, however, DiTullio and patrolman James Rowley ran the pair down. Even though Peterson was injured, he resisted arrest, DiTullio said.
DiTullio said Peterson will be charged with at least four counts of felonious assault and numerous traffic violations. Rhodes was charged with complicity to felonious assault and was in Mahoning County jail late Sunday.
The female passenger was not found, police said.