City man leads cops on chase

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A Maranatha Drive man was arraigned on fleeing-and-eluding charges in municipal court Friday, accused of driving away from an operating-a-vehicle-impaired checkpoint on the West Side last month at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Shawn Fletcher, 26, surrendered to police Friday morning at the Mahoning County jail. Magistrate Anthony Sertick set his bond at $7,500.

Reports said a trooper with the Canfield Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol tried to pull over a car Fletcher was driving about 11 p.m. April 17 at the checkpoint on lower Mahoning Avenue.

Police said, however, Fletcher refused to stop, drove past two other cruisers and started driving up the center lane of Mahoning.

Reports said the trooper stopped the chase immediately, but Fletcher continued driving in the center lane west up Mahoning, weaving in an out of traffic at speeds of about 90 mph before getting on state Route 11, where other officers tried to stop him.

A chase on that highway had speeds over 100 mph. Fletcher managed to leave Route 11, and officers could not find him.