SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio — Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman reported that the 911 communication center received a call at 7:36 a.m. on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, from a man stating his pickup truck had been stolen. The victim explained he had parked his truck at Speedee Mart, located at 220 Center Street in Wheelersburg, Ohio, when an unknown male drove off with it.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene, but shortly afterward, another call came in reporting that the stolen truck had crashed on Hayport Road. The caller described the truck as being in a ditch on its side near the train tracks by the Wheelersburg exit ramp.
Detectives arrived at the crash site and learned that a passing motorist had stopped to help the man from the wrecked truck. However, the suspect then jumped into the good Samaritan’s vehicle and sped away.
Sheriff Thoroughman stated that a description of the second stolen vehicle, along with its tag number, was broadcast to local law enforcement. A Coal Grove police officer spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the suspect fled, leading to a high-speed pursuit that exceeded 100 mph. Multiple agencies, including South Point Police, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, joined the chase.
The pursuit ended on County Road 1 in Lawrence County when the stolen vehicle broke down in front of an off-duty Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper. The suspect exited the vehicle, surrendered, and was arrested by the pursuing officers.
The suspect, identified as Johnny Dale Lewis, 41, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was taken to Saint Mary’s in Ironton for treatment and later transported to the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives discovered that Lewis had been court-ordered to a rehabilitation center in Portsmouth, Ohio, and had attempted to cut off his ankle monitor before fleeing on foot around midnight. He then stole two vehicles while walking back to Chesapeake.
Lewis faces charges of two counts of Grand Theft Auto (fourth-degree felonies) and one count of felony theft (a fifth-degree felony). He is being held on a $12,500 bond and will appear in Portsmouth Municipal Court on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Additional traffic violation charges are pending in Lawrence and Scioto Counties, handled by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Sheriff Thoroughman expressed his gratitude to all the agencies involved in the incident. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Sergeant Jodi Conkel at 740-351-1091.
