A father of two is in a coma, according to his wife, after he was hit by a car that was trying to get away from Elyria police.
Police dash camera video and audio showed how authorities were chasing the car after an officer claimed he witnessed a drug deal. The pursuit sped along around state Route 57, with law enforcement saying the Nissan Altima also ran through a stop sign near Erie Street and Lorain Avenue.
The less-than-two-minute chase ended after the Nissan Altima crashed into a Toyota Corolla after blowing through a red light at Griswold Road, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. That Toyota was being driven by 48-year-old Lorain native Robert Vormelker, who sustained serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center.
"It's just scary that he's not able to breathe on his own right now," Vormelker's wife, Kristy Helbig, told 3News said.
Following the initial collision, the Nissan hit a pole and caught fire, with police video showing officers arriving on scene and both vehicles heavily damaged. The two passengers in the Nissan — 36-year-old Cleveland native Tanner Smith and 36-year-old Wakeman resident Meghan Incorvaia — were pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect driver, 40-year-old Brandon Ryan, of Amherst, was airlifted to MetroHealth Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Neither he not his passengers were wearing seat belts, per OSHP.
"I fully support the police and whatever they need to stop people who are committing crimes," Helbig told 3News. "I just wish maybe there would have been another way."
Our team obtained the 13-page Elyria Police Department chase policy. The first section indicates that the primary concerns in all pursuit and emergency response situations are for the personal safety of the employee, the public safety of the general population, and the safety of the occupants of the pursued vehicles.
The documents also show that officers must consider many factors other than themselves and the occupants of the fleeing vehicle, noting that other citizens may become involved. Some of the factors listed in the policy include the seriousness of the crime, the possibility of apprehension, where the pursuit is taking place, and the traffic and roadway conditions.
"It was 3:30 in the afternoon," Helbig noted. "Schools were letting out, there was traffic everywhere, and you just wish there was another way."
Police say numerous drugs were discovered inside the Nissan, including crack cocaine, meth, heroin, and fentanyl. The three occupants allegedly had warrants out for their arrests.
The community is currently raising money for Vormelker and his family through GoFundMe.