NORTON, Ohio — The Norton Police Department and Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating after the body of a 39-year-old man was found in a sewer on Tuesday.
The situation dates back to Dec. 30 when authorities say “a male suspect was seen fleeing the area on foot after crashing a vehicle on the exit ramp” from 21 South to Wooster Road West.
Police searched the area at the time, but the male suspect was not found.
On Tuesday, Norton police were back searching in the area of the crash to look for the male suspect. Their continued search came amid a report of a missing man who last had contact with family members on Dec. 30 -- the same day as the crash.
Authorities say a cadaver dog “alerted on a sewer grate” in the area of Route 585 and Route 21. Officers then located the man's body after looking down inside the grate.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:20 p.m.
Norton police say the man is believed to be the driver of a vehicle that was involved in the crash. Authorities also say he's suspected of fleeing officers from other jurisdictions prior to the December crash.
The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man as 39-year-old Matthew Duplain from Canton.
No additional details were immediately available.
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on Jan. 11, 2023.