PARMA, Ohio — An investigation is underway after a former Northeast Ohio mayor was arrested following a police chase.
Parma police say the incident happened on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at around 12:33 p.m. when 66-year-old Cathy Luks was allegedly driving 43 mph in a 25 mph zone at Pearl and Brookpark roads.
Police also say they observed an expired license plate on her vehicle when they made the traffic stop. However, Luk allegedly refused to cooperate or listen to the officer's commands and eventually fled from the officer northbound on Pearl Road, leading police on a chase.
A brief high-speed chase eventually ended after Luks jumped a curb and crashed into an unoccupied tow truck in the parking lot of 4925 Pear Road in Cleveland.
3News obtained body camera footage from the incident, in which Luks identifies herself as the former mayor of North Royalton.
"What you're doing is wrong," she can be heard saying in the tape. "You know what, I was the mayor of the city of North Royalton."
Luks, indeed, served as mayor from 1999-2007. Her tenure was notable for a 2004 incident that saw her survive a recall effort from residents angry at the city's alleged lack of sewer maintenance, triggering widespread area flooding. At the time, she told WKYC "petty politics" were behind the attempts to oust her.
According to police, Luks was cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, speeding, open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and having an expired license plate. Luk's case for failing to comply is expected to be presented to a Cuyahoga County grand jury at a later time.
