x
Breaking News
More () »

18-year-old crashes car into Westlake house while allegedly fleeing from police

An 18-year-old struck a residence on Mills Ponte Way in Westlake while allegedly fleeing from the North Ridgeville Police Department.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — An 18-year-old crashed a car into a house in Westlake while allegedly fleeing from the North Ridgeville Police Department in the early hours of Sunday morning.

According to the North Ridgeville Police Department, the incident began at approximately 12:21 a.m. when an officer observed a white vehicle exiting from a Speedway onto Jaycox Road with no headlights on. The officer initiated a traffic stop, with the suspect fleeing eastbound on US 20.

The suspect, later identified as 18-year-old Kelvin Roche Melendez, lost control of his vehicle while attempting to negotiate a curve on Mills Road. The vehicle left the roadway and proceeded to strike a residence on Mills Ponte Way in Westlake.

The pursuit, which spanned 2.9 miles, lasted approximately three minutes, according to police.

Nobody inside the residence was injured as a result of the crash. Westlake police and fire arrived on scene and Melendez was transported to St. John Westshore Hospital with minor injuries.  

After being medically cleared, Melendez was then transported to the Lorain County Jail, where he was charged with the following:

  • Failure to Comply (F3)
  • Headlights Required (MM)
  • Reckless Operation (M4)
  • No Operator's License (UM)

More crime coverage from WKYC:

Editor's note: the videos in this story are from a previous story.

Before You Leave, Check This Out