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Stow police arrest woman accused of wrong-way driving and striking cruiser while fleeing from officers

Michaela Rose Yensen, 20, of Cuyahoga Falls, has been charged with failure to comply, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and other 'traffic offenses.'

STOW, Ohio — Stow police officials say a 20-year-old woman is in custody after allegedly leading officers on a chase through several communities and striking a cruiser before finally being arrested.

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In a release, the Stow Police Department says it began receiving multiple calls about a reckless driver on Kent Road near Holy Family Church on Thursday at 1 p.m. Specifically, callers said a female driving a small silver vehicle was moving on the wrong side of the road, nearly causing several crashes. More calls reported the same car driving on the wrong side of the road on Graham Road. 

Police attempted to stop the car as it went west through Silver Lake and then back into the the city of Stow. Officers initially believed that the driver was possibly suffering from a medical condition. However, as the driver "actively avoided attempts" to be blocked in, police realized she was intentionally fleeing. 

The silver car moved from Stow into Cuyahoga Falls, where police officers from both cities were able to flatten the tires using stop sticks in the area of Graham Road and Hudson Drive. The suspect went back into Stow, where police say she struck a police cruiser on East Steels Corners Road.

Driving the car on its rims, the suspect went southbound in the northbound lanes of State Route 8. Officers from Stow, Cuyahoga Falls and Silver Lake were finally able to trap her when she got off of Route 8 at Graham Road. 

Credit: Stow Police Department

The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Michaela Rose Yensen of Cuyahoga Falls, was arrested and taken to the Stow City Jail. She has been charged with failure to comply, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, plus other "traffic offenses." Yensen was taken to the emergency room for evaluation and will appear in Stow Municipal Court to face her charges. 

Stow police add that at least two additional crashes were attributed to Yensen during the course of the incident.

Credit: Stow Police Department

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