Ingham Co. Sheriff breaks down Tuesday’s “complex” chase

Correction: Spelling for Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth is corrected.

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A Fenton man is currently behind bars after authorities say he drove recklessly through Ingham and Livingston counties for hours. 6 News sat down with Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth, who says that deputies were determined to make an arrest.

“It got to a point where we simply had to get this guy off the street,” says Wriggelsworth.

Wriggelsworth told 6 News that Ingham County Dispatch received multiple 911 calls about a reckless driver on I-96 Tuesday afternoon. He says that the man led his deputies on two pursuits—both of which were terminated when they became too dangerous.

Because of this, the suspect was able to escape arrest, but not for long.

Ingham County Dispatch received a 911 call from a woman who said a man had broken into her home in Leroy Township, threatening to kill her if she did not hand over the keys to her vehicle.

“He told them he was running from the police, right?” said Wriggelsworth. “We’re back in it like ‘we have to find that car now. We have to get this guy off the street.'”

Wriggelsworth says the man led authorities on two more pursuits, leading deputies into Livingston County, where he says Michigan State Police and Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputies joined in.

Multiple viewer videos show the man dangerously weaving in and out of traffic.

Police used spike strips to slow down the white truck.

Jason Eastcott captured the following photos of the scene, showing torn rubber and tire smoke on W Grand River Avenue near Howell High School.

“If you watch Cops or the TV shows that have the real police chase, when you see it in real life it’s so much faster,” says Eastcott. “You can’t believe how fast it’s going.”

After hitting the spike strips, the truck crashed head-on into an SUV, and the suspect was taken into custody.

The 2 occupants of the SUV were taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.

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