High-speed Ohio Turnpike chase exceeds 100 mph
PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) — Newly released dashcam video obtained by Fox 8 News shows a wild police chase on the Ohio Turnpike that continued for more than twenty minutes and exceeded speeds of 100 mph.
At one point the female driver nearly ran over a state trooper.
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It started in Braceville Township, Trumbull County.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, 33-year-old Esther Paragulla was driving a Nissan Altima and was pulled over for going 91 mph, but during the stop, she took off.
The westbound pursuit continued from milepost 209 to milepost 175 and reached speeds of 103 mph according to the dashcam recording.
The incident happened on June 29, but the video was released on Saturday.
It shows Paragulla weaving in and out of traffic and even intentionally at the cruisers after hitting the stop sticks and blowing out a tire.
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“She’s driving on the rim,” one trooper said. “She’s trying to hit the cruisers, be aware she’s trying to hit the cars.”
Multiple troopers were pursuing her and could see a male passenger in the vehicle recording it on a cellphone.
“Watch that passenger, he’s the one egging her on,” a trooper said. “Thinking it’s funny.”
Paragulla stopped a second time, but as a trooper approached the vehicle. She put the pedal to the metal and nearly struck him.
“Man she almost ran me over and she came straight at me with her car,” the trooper said.
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Several more miles and minutes later Paragulla finally stops a third and final time. This time troopers weren’t taking any chances and surrounded the vehicle with weapons drawn.
Both Paragulla and her male passenger were taken into custody without incident. She’s then heard on video saying to the troopers, “What’s your (expletive) problem?!”
And when she was told she was being arrested and read her rights she replied, “Are you serious?!”
In July a Portage County Grand Jury indicted and charged Paragulla with felonious assault for nearly hitting the trooper.
The pretrial is set for August 27.
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