Hunter
01/10/21
A Marion man was taken into custody Friday morning after trying to elude authorities near Solon and nearly hitting a squad car head-on.
According to police reports, an officer noticed a car driving down Lake Manor Road at 3:45am with only a dealer plate, which seemed suspicious given the hour. A traffic stop was initiated for having no plates, but the driver, later identified as 27-year-old Travis Melsha of 5th Avenue, quickly accelerated and took off.
Melsha allegedly hit a dead end and drove towards the officer, almost hitting him head on. He allegedly hit speeds of 80 miles an hour, and eventually wrecked the Chrysler 300 he was driving. Melsha and a passenger allegedly took off behind houses and woodland areas.
He was eventually found by authorities and identified as the driver. A check of Melsha’s driving record showed his driving status as suspended.
He was taken into custody and charged with Eluding, Interference with Official Acts, Reckless Driving, Driving while suspended, and speeding over 25 miles per hour over the posted limit. If convicted on the charges, Melsha could be sentenced to up to 25 months in prison.
