High speed chase in Columbus ends with suspect jumping off bridge into Big Walnut Creek

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested one man after a high speed chase through Columbus ended with the suspect jumping off a bridge in the southeast side of the city.

According to deputies at the scene, a sheriff spotted what appeared to be a reported stolen Jeep Compass near the intersection of Cleveland Avenue and Huy Road, in North Linden. At around 3:45 a.m., the sheriff attempted to pull the vehicle over.

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The driver, identified as 45-year-old Adam Garber, sped away and a pursuit began. Authorities said the vehicle reached up to 100 MPH on Columbus interstates with the driver eventually heading south on South Hamilton Road, past Interstate 270 and Refugee Road.

At around 4:06 a.m., the vehicle pursuit stopped on South Hamilton Rd. near a bridge over Big Walnut Creek. Garber reportedly got out of the car and jumped off the bridge into the water.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office called the Columbus Division of Police and the Columbus Fire Water and Rescue crews for assistance to locate the suspect. A search in the immediate area lasted about 30 minutes before Garber was seen clinging to a tree branch near the bank of the creek. He was helped out of the creek and apprehended.

Medics treated Garber at the scene and took him to an area hospital in stable condition.

Garber is charged with receiving stolen property and failure to comply. The incident, which lasted nearly an hour and covered approximately 15 miles, remains under investigation.

South Hamilton Road in the area was closed for two or three hours until around 7 a.m.

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