ONTARIO – One suspect is in custody and one is severely injured after a bank robbery that resulted in a high-speed chase and crash on Thursday morning.
According to Mansfield Police Chief Ken Coontz, the driver of a Chevrolet Cavalier who allegedly robbed the KeyBank on Lexington Avenue is in custody. After treatment he will be arrested and incarcerated. Charges are pending.
“We’re waiting to hear on the status of the passenger,” Coontz said in regard to the pending charges.
Shortly before 10 a.m. on Thursday, two suspects in a tan-colored Chevrolet Cavalier allegedly robbed the KeyBank on Lexington Avenue. Coontz said officers started tailing the suspects soon after based on a vehicle description.
“Vehicle pursuit ensued from that,” Coontz said.
Mansfield officers chased the suspects into Ontario jurisdiction before the Cavalier struck a maroon-colored Ford F-150 in front of the El Campestre restaurant on West Fourth Street.
“The passenger side of the suspect vehicle scraped across the front of the bystander’s vehicle,” Coontz said. “That caused some very severe damage on the passenger side.”
According to Coontz, the passenger in the suspect vehicle appeared to have severe injuries, while the drivers of both vehicles were only slightly injured. All three people involved in the crash were transported to the hospital for treatment.
The emergency department at Avita Health System’s Ontario location stated they had not received any ambulances, and that the victims were most likely transported to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital as their emergency department is a certified trauma center. A spokesperson for OhioHealth Mansfield could not confirm whether the victims were transported to the hospital.
In addition to the Mansfield Police Department, the Ontario Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Richland County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene. Coontz stated the local FBI office is assisting Mansfield detectives in the investigation of the KeyBank robbery.
“We did recover some if not all of the money that was taken from the bank,” Coontz said. “We’re still sorting through the evidence, but we did recover a large sum of cash.”
West Fourth Street was blocked off in both directions and it is unknown when the street will reopen.
This is a developing story.
