Pair on motorcycle charged after crash
Patrol says man fled while woman took off in trooper's patrol car
By Gina Mace
BARBERTON - A mixture of alcohol and speed are blamed for a weekend motorcycle accident that resulted in the arrest of an Akron couple -- the man charged with fleeing from a state trooper and the woman charged with stealing the trooper's car.
John B. Watkins, 39, is charged with assaulting a police officer, fleeing, resisting arrest, drunken driving, driving under suspension and failure to control. He is in the Summit County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond.
Felicia G. Ball, 42, is charged with grand theft and drunken driving. She is free on $10,000 bond.
Both refused blood alcohol tests and appeared Wednesday before Barberton Municipal Judge Michael McNulty.
State Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark McDonald said Trooper Jason Sulzener tried to stop a blue 2003 Yamaha that was heading south on Interstate 77 near the Arlington Road exit in Green around 3 a.m. Friday. A man was operating the motorcycle and a woman was riding as passenger.
``The motorcycle accelerated to over 100 mph,'' McDonald said. ``The trooper decided not to pursue the vehicle.''
About five minutes later, as Sulzener was leaving the interstate on Arlington, he saw that the motorcycle had crashed at the end of the entrance ramp from Arlington.
``The female was lying in the grass next to the motorcycle and the male appeared to be hiding in a patch of tall grass,'' McDonald said. ``The trooper approached the man, who was obviously intoxicated, and he resisted arrest.''
As Sulzener struggled to restrain the man, the woman -- who up to that point would not have been charged with anything, McDonald said -- climbed into Sulzener's cruiser and drove off.
``She drove about an eighth of a mile,'' McDonald said. ``She must have changed her mind, because she pulled over on the berm and stopped.''
Backup officers were in the area and quickly arrested Ball, McDonald said.
Watkins was treated at Akron City Hospital. There was no damage to the patrol car and minor damage to the motorcycle, McDonald said.
``Put alcohol and a lack of common sense together, and people do stupid things,'' McDonald said.
Topic: Crash bike, rider hides in bushes, pillion steals cop car... (Read 2358 times)