From 100 MPH to a Cornfield: Stop Sticks, Shredded Rims, and the Takedown of a Stolen Truck

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From 100 MPH to a Cornfield:

The Chase Begins

What began as a routine alert quickly escalated into a 45-minute, two-county high-speed pursuit on Friday evening, ultimately ending dramatically in a cornfield. Initially, a suspect refused to stop in a stolen pickup truck, meanwhile hitting speeds over 100 mph and aggressively attempting to run police cruisers off the road.

The incident officially kicked off around 6:30 p.m. when the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office flagged a stolen red Toyota Tacoma heading toward Pickaway County. Shortly after, Pickaway deputies spotted the vehicle near Williamsport and attempted a traffic stop on State Route 22, thereby triggering the wild chase.

Stop Sticks and Shredded Rims

As the pursuit neared State Route 56, deputies strategically deployed Stop Sticks across the roadway. The deployment successfully punctured both passenger-side tires.

Even though the Stop Sticks successfully did their job, the suspect—identified as 43-year-old James Picklesimer—still refused to yield. Instead, he pushed the truck into Circleville on bare metal rims as the tires completely shredded off. Furthermore, even while riding on sparks at speeds over 50 mph, he managed to cross into Fairfield County, hit a construction zone, subsequently flip a U-turn, and loop back toward Williamsport.

The Takedown and Arrest

With an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter tracking the truck from the sky, officers finally ended the chaos near Williamsport by executing a PIT maneuver. The tactical move

 forced the rim-riding Tacoma off the road and deep into a cornfield, where Picklesimer surrendered without further incident.

He is currently being held at the Pickaway County Jail facing a heavy list of felony charges, including:

• Multiple counts of Felonious Assault on a Peace Officer

• Receiving Stolen Property

• Failure to Comply with an Order or Signal

• Probation Violation and Reckless Operation

Court records show Picklesimer has an extensive local criminal history, including an OVI charge earlier this year.