NORTH RIDGEVLLE — Police have determined that Jeremy Casey was driving at 99 mph during the brief police pursuit that ended in a crash that killed him July 8.
Casey
North Ridgeville police Capt. Marti Garrow said investigators determined Casey’s speed from a combination of formulas, tests and data recovered from the car’s computer.
“We’re very confident that his speed was 99 miles an hour,” Garrow said.
Casey, 32, died early July 8 after he fled the parking lot of the Lorain Road McDonald’s restaurant as police arrived after reports of a driver passed out in the drive-through.
After being awakened by another person, the driver, who was later identified as Casey, drove around one police cruiser and sped away from the parking lot as police attempted to stop him by blocking the drive-through, police reported.
In a pursuit that lasted barely a minute, police chased Casey down Lear-Nagle Road, and his Chevy Impala hit a wall of a Walgreens drugstore at Lear-Nagle and Center Ridge roads.
Casey was thrown from his car, which landed on top of him. He died at the scene from massive injuries.
Toxicology tests showed Casey’s blood alcohol content was 0.232, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08, according to Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans.
Casey had a police record and convictions for assault, domestic violence, drunken driving and other charges.
Garrow said police who pursued Casey were traveling at speeds of 70 to 75 mph “and he was pulling away from them.”
Police Chief Michael Freeman confirmed in the days following the fatality that officers who responded to the McDonald’s and subsequently pursued Casey did so solely for the reason that the man had refused police efforts to stop him.
Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.
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