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Monday, 08 June 2009 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
A 25-year-old Maria Stein man was killed after crashing his motorcycle while being pursued by Minster Police officers.
Nathan P. Thobe, 25, sped from police officers on his Kawasaki Ninja after they attempted to stop him for a minor misdemeanor of failing to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of First and Cleveland streets, Minster Police Chief Randy Houseworth said this morning.
He said the chase lasted only a few minutes but reached high speeds on the west side of town before entering in the Minster Industrial Park shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday.
The suspect was pursued north on Ohio Street through Four Seasons Park and two farm fields before turning back into the village where the pursuit continued south on Ohio Street into the industrial park.
The chase ended near the intersection of Industrial Drive and Executive Parkway where Thobe failed to negotiate a turn and flipped his bike. He was ejected, said Sgt. Tom Brookhart with the Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which is investigating the crash.
While he was wearing a helmet, Thobe, who was taken to Joint Township District Memorial Hospi-
tal in St. Marys by Minster Rescue Squad, was pronounced dead after his arrival by Auglaize County Coroner Thomas Freytag.
Alcohol was involved in the crash. Brookhart said Thobe tested 0.17. The legal limit is 0.08.
“He was a young guy, running from the police and going too fast,” Brookhart said.
He said Thobe was driving with a valid license and did not have any active warrants out for his arrest.
The Highway Patrol is using a crash reconstruction specialist to assist in its investigation, but preliminary findings indicate that speed and alcohol were contributing factors.
Minster Police officers are handling the investigation of the pursuit and circumstances surrounding the incident.
Houseworth also said there is an internal investigation going on to see if the officers responded appropriately under the department’s policy for pursuits.
Assisting in the pursuit were units from New Bremen and Fort Loramie police departments and the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office.
Thobe is the second motorist to be killed in a traffic fatality in Auglaize County this year. He is the first to be killed on a motorcycle.
Joan Decker, of Waynesfield, was killed Feb. 13 on Ohio 196 outside of Waynesfield.
Two motorcyclists were killed in crashes in Auglaize County last year — Daryl Bogg at the intersection of Townline-Kossuth and U.S. 33 on April 5 and Arthur Schaub on Cemetery Road on July 25.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 09 June 2009 )
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