BRYAN, Ohio — A high-speed pursuit involving a man with a warrant resulted in a 9-month-old baby in a car seat being ejected from a speeding minivan, WSVN reported.
The incident began on Dec. 1 in the parking lot of a Walmart in Bryan, where officers approached a man who had an active warrant. Body camera footage shows the man’s girlfriend loading groceries into the minivan as officers initiated contact.
Seconds later, the man sped away, leaving his girlfriend behind. Inside the van were his infant son and 5-year-old daughter, according to the report.
Dashcam footage captured officers pursuing the man as he reached speeds of up to 100 mph. During the pursuit, officers noted the minivan’s door was ajar. As the vehicle rounded a curve, the 9-month-old in a car seat fell out, bouncing on the roadway.
Authorities said the door was likely not properly closed when the man fled, according to the report.
The pursuit ended when officers decided to halt the pursuit due to bad weather. While attempting to evade police, the man contacted the infant’s mother and revealed his location.
The man later dropped off his daughter at a friend’s house, but it took officers an hour to locate the baby, according to the report. The infant was found on the side of the highway in his car seat, awake and crying. Bodycam video shows the emotional moment the child’s mother found him and cradled him in her arms.
Doctors said the baby’s body temperature had dropped to dangerous levels and could have become life-threatening if he had been left outside much longer, according to the report.
The man was eventually arrested at a nearby apartment complex. He admitted to police that he panicked and made a “poor decision.” He now faces charges of child endangerment, according to the report.
