A pair of suspects were killed in a hail of gunfire that left dozens of bullet holes in the windshield of a kidnapped Werner truck driver’s semi.
“A harrowing situation involving a Werner professional driver occurred this morning in west central Ohio. At this time, we know our driver is safe and out of respect for the privacy of our driver and his family, we will not release a name,” A Werner spokesperson reportedly stated. “The Werner driver sustained injuries, and we are focused on making sure he is receiving all the care and treatment he needs. Werner Enterprises thanks the state and local authorities who rescued our driver, and they have our full cooperation during this investigation.”
The incident occurred on Wednesday, Aug. 2, when London, Ohio, police made what they thought was a routine traffic stop. After a male and female provided false identification to the patrol officer, the situation escalated. According to reports, the suspects fled in a van, pulling off I-70 at a nearby truck stop.
An officer attempted to arrest the pair using non-lethal force. The officer reportedly deployed a Taser on the male suspect, who reportedly fell to the ground and pulled a handgun. That’s when the couple boarded a parked semi-truck with a sleeping Werner Enterprises driver inside. The suspects sped off and slammed into a London police cruiser while escaping back onto I-70.
“Usually, we try to not engage in such a long pursuit. However, with the speeds and the seriousness of the crime and with the abduction taking place, we had to maintain contact with that vehicle,” London Police Chief Glenn Nicol reportedly said. “At that point in time, the (Ohio State Highway Patrol) Special Response Team, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office negotiators, were working to speak with the suspects as well as the victim to try to get this to a peaceful conclusion.”
Negotiations to rescue the trucker went on for more than four hours. As dawn broke, law enforcement approached the semi to extricate the kidnapped driver. That’s when the suspects shot at police, who returned fire and deployed tear gas. The female suspect was reportedly killed at the scene. The male was transported to a nearby hospital, but later died from his wounds. The Werner driver reportedly sustained only minor injuries.
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