Celina man jailed following pursuit

A Celina man remains in the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility after leading officers from five law enforcement agencies on a high speed pursuit through Mercer and Auglaize counties.

Celina Police officers initially located Rickey Lee Chaney, 36, 4669 Mud Pike, in a vehicle at the rear of Lake Contracting Co., 225 S. Buckeye St., around 12:45 a.m. today.

Before they could investigate the suspicious activity, Chaney fled at a high rate of speed along Buckeye and Market streets to state Route 29 into Auglaize County.

Deputies from the Auglaize County Sheriff's Office and officers from the St. Marys Police Department responded as the pursuit continued southbound on state Route 364 to the south side of Grand Lake.

Chaney reportedly traveled various county roads before turning westbound on state Route 219. The pursuit continued as he criss-crossed county roads and farm fields before traveling westbound on County Road 219A. He continued through Montezuma before turning north onto state Route 703.

Troopers from the Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and officers from the Coldwater Police Department were waiting with a roadblock set up at the intersection of state Route 703 and U.S. 127.

Celina Police Chief Dave Slusser said Chaney slowed as he approached U.S. 127 and then stopped just short of the roadblock. He exited the vehicle and surrendered to authorities.

Speeds reached in excess of 100 per miles at various times throughout the pursuit, according to Slusser.

Chaney was transported to jail and booked on failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. His cash bond is set at $100,000. The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office is expected to file formal charges later today in Celina Municipal Court.

Slusser said the investigation is continuing as officers try to determine why he was at the business given the time of night.