A Scioto County man has been charged after his vehicle struck a Portsmouth Police cruiser injuring a police officer. Wesley D. Loop, 21, of 96 McDonald Street in South Webster is charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, after the 2007 Pontiac G6 he was operating struck the cruiser operated by officer Aaron Cooper. Cooper was transported to Southern Ohio Medical Center.
According to the police report, Cooper was pursuing a motorcycle early Wednesday morning that was west bound on Seventh Street with his lights and siren activated when the car driven by Loop entered the intersection north bound on Brown Street. Officers said Loop told them he did not see the cruiser, crashing into it. In another part of the report, officers said Loop told them he saw the unit but was unable to get stopped. The report said that vehicle also struck a residence at 1657 Seventh St. The report goes on to say officers detected an odor of alcohol on Loop's person.
Loop was transported to the Portsmouth Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol where officers said he submitted to a breath test and that he tested .161. According to the report he was also found to have not yielded the right of way to a public safety vehicle. The report said the windows of Loop's vehicle were fogged up at the scene of the crash. Loop was arraigned in Portsmouth Municipal Court Wednesday morning.
Loop was taken to the Scioto County Jail, while Cooper was transported to SOMC. He remains off work at this time pending a follow up treatment for his injuries.
Copyright 2013 - The Portsmouth Daily Times, Ohio
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
