A Coolville man who allegedly crashed a stolen four-wheeler while fleeing from a deputy Tuesday afternoon is now in a Columbus hospital in stable condition.
Tony Hedges, 31, has been charged with driving under suspicion, failure to control, failure to comply, receiving stolen property and two counts of breaking and entering, according to a news release from Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly.
Hedges allegedly attempted to steal items from an 84-year-old resident’s barn. Her daughter-in-law called police to report the incident, according to the release.
The homeowner said, at first glance, she thought the intruder was one of her sons, until he allegedly came into the house uninvited, claiming he was there to pick up a few items and asking to make a phone call, according to the release.
The owner allowed him to make the call but then asked him to leave the property. When Hedges allegedly went to the woman's barn instead, the resident called her son and daughter-in-law, according to the release.
The couple arrived at the scene as Hedges was allegedly carrying chainsaws out of the barn. He began shouting profanities while allegedly attempting to start the four-wheeler.
The homeowner’s daughter-in-law, feeling threatened, shot the front tire with a .357 Magnum as Hedges fled, according to the release.
Deputy John Morris was responding to the call when he encountered a male fitting the suspect's the description on a four-wheeler on Blackwood Road. Morris angled his car to block the road, and the suspect allegedly tried to drive around the vehicle but hit a ditch 15 feet away, according to the release.
“I looked in my mirror and saw the four-wheeler flip sideways,” the deputy said in the press release. “But when I exited my vehicle, the suspect was on his back, yelling and cursing.”
Hedges has been transported to a Columbus hospital in stable condition, and the case will be presented to a grand jury, according to the release.
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