CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A Chillicothe man under active investigation for drug trafficking led officers on a 13-mile pursuit through city streets and onto US Route 35 Wednesday afternoon, reaching speeds exceeding 120 mph before his truck ran out of gas on an exit ramp.
Terrance Collins Sr. is now facing charges of failure to comply, fleeing, and leaving the scene of an accident. A probation holder has also been placed on Collins, who was on active probation at the time of the incident.
The pursuit began on East Main Street after a detective conducting surveillance on Collins as part of an open drug trafficking investigation observed his white Chevrolet Silverado returning from Franklin County. Officers attempted a traffic stop near East Main Street and Leggett Avenue for illegal window tint. Collins refused to stop.
Collins accelerated into a residential neighborhood, running multiple stop signs before turning south on Douglas Avenue at high speed. While crossing the railroad tracks on Douglas Avenue, the Silverado went airborne and struck an occupied city utility truck traveling in the opposite direction. The driver of the utility truck had to swerve to avoid being struck head-on. Collins did not stop.
The pursuit continued onto Eastern Avenue and then south on US Route 35, where the Ohio State Highway Patrol took over as the lead unit. Radio traffic during the chase indicated Collins reached speeds in excess of 120 mph on US 35.
Collins finally came to a stop on the exit ramp at Vigo Road — investigators later determined his fuel tank had run nearly empty, and that is likely what stopped the chase.
After being taken into custody, Collins told officers he ran because he believed he had an active warrant for a domestic violence charge. Investigators found no such warrant and no domestic cases on record in the jurisdiction.
Two cell phones were recovered from the vehicle and secured as evidence. The Silverado was towed from the scene. The drug trafficking investigation remains open.