Charge filed on female in vehicle pursuit that led to police officer injury

Staff report

HOWLAND

The Wednesday-morning police chase that resulted in an injury to Maj. Harold Firster of the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office started in front of Howland High School at 7:48 a.m.

A woman has been charged in Warren Municipal Court with failure to comply in the incident, and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.

A Howland police officer saw a vehicle with purported fictitious license plates and attempted to make a traffic stop on a female driving a green Saturn, said Howland Assistant Police Chief Nick Roberts. The driver appeared to be pulling over but then fled westbound on East Market Street with the officer following. The vehicle ignored several stop signs and traffic lights.

At one point, Warren police blocked the westbound lane of Atlantic Street Northeast to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the eastbound lane near Lincoln K-8 School.

On North Park Avenue, the Warren and Howland police vehicles ended the pursuit, but the Howland officer followed at normal speeds on North River Road, observing the female throwing items out of the car at two locations.

Champion police and deputies with the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office picked up the pursuit on Mahoning Avenue in Champion.

Then other officers picked it up on U.S. Route 422 north of Warren.

At 8:06 a.m., Firster, in a pickup truck, attempted to cross from the westbound lane to the eastbound lane at Anderson Anthony Road to engage in the pursuit, resulting in a collision with a semi tractor coming east. Firster suffered a minor injury. The other driver was not hurt.

The suspect’s vehicle continued on Route 422 and got away, Roberts said.

Police “have a pretty good idea who was driving,” and charges are likely, Roberts said.