Body of man fleeing traffic stop found

ZANESVILLE

An Ohio county sheriff says the body of a 43-year-old man has been recovered after he jumped into a creek while fleeing a traffic stop.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz says the body of Michael Fowler, of Westerville, was found Saturday afternoon close to where he jumped into nearly freezing water outside South Zanesville early Friday.

Lutz says Fowler crashed his vehicle after a deputy tried to initiate a traffic stop around 2:30 a.m. Friday and then fled on foot before jumping into Jonathan Creek. Several fire departments, the Ohio Highway Patrol and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources spent hours searching the creek for Fowler&'s body.

South Zanesville is about 58 miles (93 kilometers) east of downtown Columbus.