A Middletown man is facing felony counts after police say he tore through multiple jurisdictions in a reportedly stolen car, hit more than 100 miles per hour, then flipped the vehicle outside a popular Centerville bar. The single-occupant car overturned in front of Archer's Tavern, and the driver was treated at the scene before being taken to a nearby hospital. Officers say the chase turned into a serious public-safety threat once the driver crossed into oncoming lanes at very high speed.
Franklin officers were called in early Saturday after Middletown police spotted the recently stolen vehicle near Wells Bridge Drive and then saw it parked at a Speedway on East Second Street, according to WKRC Local 12. Police say the driver bolted as officers moved in, kicking off a pursuit that ran east on East Second Street, continued onto State Route 73, and then north on State Route 48. Audio from dash and body cameras included in the station's report captures officers saying speeds topped 100 miles per hour before units called off the chase near Social Row Road.
A short time later, Centerville police reported that the same vehicle had crashed and overturned in front of Archer's Tavern. The driver, who officers say was the only person in the car, managed to get out of the wreck and was treated by emergency crews before being taken to a local hospital. Authorities did not report any injuries to bystanders or to customers and staff inside the bar.
Centerville police documented the overturned crash scene and later identified the driver as Camren Brumett of Middletown. Franklin police said they plan to file felony charges of failure to comply and receiving stolen property in Franklin Municipal Court, WKRC Local 12 reports. Investigators say Brumett was the only person in the vehicle, and the Franklin Division of Police had not released booking information as of the latest update.
Why officers sometimes call off chases
Police supervisors are trained to weigh the value of catching a suspect right now against the risk that a high-speed chase poses to everyone else on the road. Extremely high speeds and driving into oncoming lanes are among the red flags that often lead departments to shut a pursuit down.
Federal guidance and common policing best practices urge caution. A joint report from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that agencies factor in how long the pursuit has gone on, road and weather conditions, and the suspect's speed and driving behavior when deciding whether to keep going. The report's COPS/NHTSA guide advises supervisors to terminate a chase when the overall risk outweighs the benefit of an immediate arrest.
Legal implications
Franklin police said they will seek felony charges for failure to comply and receiving stolen property, both defined under Ohio law. The state's failure-to-comply statute can be elevated to a felony when a driver willfully tries to elude police and creates a substantial risk of serious physical harm. Receiving stolen property is a separate offense that can also be charged as a felony depending on the nature and value of the item involved. For more on how Ohio classifies and penalizes these crimes, see Ohio Revised Code §2921.331 and ORC Chapter 2913.
