Three different police departments were involved at different stages of the pursuit of Tommy Christopher David, 44, of Woodlawn Avenue, during the early morning hours of Nov. 16 that started in Lebanon, through Middletown to Springboro at speeds reaching 110 mph, and ending in a fatal single-car crash last week in Monroe.
According to reports from Springboro police, Officer Evan Mosley was on patrol near the Interstate 75/Ohio 73 interchange when he spotted David’s vehicle, a maroon 1990 Chrysler Cirrus about 6:05 a.m. that was wanted by Lebanon police for trespassing and a possible gun.
After confirming the car’s registration, Mosley tried to stop David’s car. Mosley was joined by Officer Eric Kuhlman in the pursuit down I-75 south at high speeds.
Springboro police Sgt. Eric Abrams said Lebanon police wanted David concerning a trespassing complaint earlier that morning along with felony failure to comply with an order of a law enforcement officer. Police also believed David had a handgun.
Abrams reported that Lebanon police said that David had reportedly banged on the back door of his ex-girlfriend’s home sometime before 5:30 a.m. When police arrived at the residence, David was gone. He later returned to her home for a second time after police left.
Lebanon police said during the second visit, David said he had his pistol and threatened her and said he was going to wait in the area until her fiancé to come to her home. She called police to return to her home. As police headed back to the woman’s home, another officer spotted the car and began a pursuit about 5:31 a.m. The pursuit was terminated about 5:33 a.m. when David began increasing speed and driving aggressively on Ohio 63 west at the city limits. Police said the woman said David was behaving out of character.
At 5:45 a.m., Lebanon contacted Middletown police to try and locate David at his Woodlawn Avenue home. As Middletown officers were en route to his home, David passed police on Roosevelt Boulevard/Ohio 122. Police were unable to stop David before he took the ramp to I-75 north at 5:59 a.m.
As Springboro officers chased David on I-75 south, the pursuit speed reached 110 mph at 6:09 p.m., according to Mosley’s report. Just south of the Middletown exit on I-75 south, Mosley said the driver was flashing a light toward the rear of the car at him from what appeared to be a flash light that was from a camera or a handgun light. As they approached the Ohio 63 interchange in Monroe, David’s vehicle slows to 103 mph before exiting from I-75. The speed drops again to 75 mph.
As the pursuit headed west on Ohio 63 in Monroe, David puts on more speed to about 90 mph. Abrams’ report said David went through the red light at Ohio 63 and Cincinnati-Dayton Road. Police slowed and went through the intersection. The pursuit continued through the Britton Lane intersection before David’s vehicle goes off the road and crashed into a tree near Heritage Green Drive about 6:13 a.m.
After a Warren County Sheriff’s deputy arrived, the three approached the car with weapons drawn, ordering the driver to come out of the car. They found David dead and entangled in the wreckage.
Other units from Monroe police and fire, the Ohio Highway Patrol and a Trenton police K-9 unit arrived at the scene.
Abrams said the highway patrol troopers said no handgun was found in the wreckage. The patrol said David had called his girlfriend during the pursuit and told her that he was in a high-speed chase on Ohio 63 by police. The girlfriend later told troopers that she did not believe his claims. The patrol said shortly after that call, David crashed.
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