Driver pleads innocent in chase that hurt cops

By Ed Runyan | July 11, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

Police Video: Car Chase

Officers said they found two types of pills in the suspect’s car.

WARREN — Tracye L. Peno, the woman accused in a low-speed chase that led to injuries to two city police officers, pleaded innocent to two felony charges and a misdemeanor when she was arraigned Thursday.

Peno, 35, of South Street, was arraigned in Warren Municipal Court on charges of aggravated vehicular assault and failure to comply with the order of a police officer — both felonies — as well as a misdemeanor drug abuse charge.

Police recovered a bag from Peno’s car containing eight pills, six of them Xanax and the other two Soma.

Judge Terry Ivanchek set bond at $75,000 and gave her another court date for 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.

The charges resulted from a low-speed chase on East Market Street at around 4 p.m. Wednesday in which Peno’s eastbound vehicle was seen driving up on the curb and weaving across the two eastbound lanes near the Country Club Drive intersection at between 2 and 5 mph.

After Patrolman Thaddeus Stephenson drove beside Peno’s car for several minutes trying to get her to stop, Sgt. Joe O’Grady pulled his cruiser in front of Stephenson’s cruiser and Peno’s car and walked toward the driver’s door of Peno’s car, police said.

As he opened her door and attempted to put his foot on the brake, police said Peno hit the gas pedal.

With O’Grady partially inside the car and partially out, Peno’s car struck the side of O’Grady’s cruiser, pinning him momentarily between the two cars and causing an injury to his leg and hip.

Stephenson also suffered an injury moments later as he approached Peno’s vehicle from the passenger side and attempted to enter it just as O’Grady finally got his foot on the brake pedal.

Both officers were released Wednesday evening from St. Joseph Medical Center after being treated.

Peno, whose body was nearly lifeless during and after the incident, was taken to the hospital and later transferred to the Trumbull County Jail.

“She was dead weight and was not moving,” officers said in their report of the incident. She refused to submit to a Breathalyzer test, police said.

Warren Police Chief John Mandopoulos declined to give any details Thursday on the severity of the injuries to the two officers or whether they would miss work.

runyan@vindy.com