Richland man, 39, charged with 5th OVI after causing two crashes in stolen truck

Staff report
·2 min read

UHRICHSVILLE — Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers charged a Richland County man with his fifth count of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence after he caused two crashes in a stolen truck Saturday.

According to patrol Sgt. Clinton Armstrong, Chad R. Cordwell was involved in two crashes on U.S. Route 250 at 6:09 p.m. Armstrong gave the following account of the incident:

The 39-year-old was driving a stolen 2014 Chevrolet Silverado east on Route 250 when he tried to pass a truck on the right berm and sideswiped its mirror. The victim, a 45-year-old Dover man who was also driving a 2014 Silverado, was not injured. Cordwell fled the scene and continued east on Route 250 toward McCauley Drive.

A short time later, near the on-ramp for U.S. Route 36 westbound, Cordwell hit the back of a 2013 GMC Yukon XL. The driver of the GMC, a 70-year-old New Philadelphia woman, was taken to Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover to be treated for her injuries. Her passenger, a 75-year-old New Philadelphia woman, was taken to the same hospital. Cordwell tried to flee in foot from the second crash. He was found and detained by Tuscarawas County sheriff's deputies.

Troopers from the patrol's New Philadelphia post who arrived and spoke with Cordwell determined he had consumed alcohol recently. He was not cooperating with officers and was subsequently arrested for OVI. During the crash investigation, it was determined that the vehicle he was driving was reported at 1:12 p.m. Saturday to have been stolen in Mansfield. The license plate on the truck had been stolen from another vehicle.

Cordwell was taken to the Tuscarawas County jail. While being transported. he damaged property in the back of the patrol car. He is facing multiple charges in Tuscarawas County Southern District Court and Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court.

Also assisting on scene were the Uhrichsville police and fire departments the Ohio Department of Transportation, Finlayson Towing and Affordable Towing.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Patrol says drunken Richland man causes two crashes in stolen truck