Police: Woman drove drunk, crashed onto railroad track

PERKINS TWP. — A theft investigation that started in Perkins Township ended when the alleged perpetrator crashed her car in Sandusky. Paige M. Merriwether, 31, of the 1300 block of Prospect St., is facing one fourth-degree felony count of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer. She is additionally facing several misdemeanor charges: theft, open container of alcohol, operating a vehicle under the influence, driving under suspension and reckless operation. Just after 1:15 p.m. on Nov. 29, officers hosting a toy drive at a store in the 5500 block of Milan Road (U.S. 250) were alerted by loss prevention to a possible shoplifter, a Perkins police report states. The woman, later learned to be Merriwether, was leaving the store. She was able to get in her vehicle and drive away as an officer was knocking on her driver's side window. The officer called out a possible license plate number over the radio and other officers began searching for the SUV. Officers found and began pursuing Merriwether who refused to pull over, according to the report. She was westbound on Ohio 2 before turning northbound onto Hayes Avenue (Ohio 4). She eventually entered the city limits, and Perkins officers ceased their pursuit. But continued to "loosely" follow the vehicle, according to the report. Sandusky officers were alerted to the SUV's location and they began searching for it. Merriwether reportedly traveled at excessive speeds and did not slow for intersections, according to a Sandusky police report. Sandusky officers lost sight of her SUV, but then later came upon the vehicle crashed on the railroad tracks near Shelby Street and Seavers Way. Perkins officers arrived at the crash scene first and removed Merriwether from the vehicle, the reports state. Merriwether was transported to the hospital for examination. The Sandusky report states Merriwether refused to provide a urine sample for alcohol and drug testing. Hospital staff allegedly told Perkins officers that Merriwether had a blood alcohol concentration that was more than three times the legal limit. Additionally, they told officers her urine tested positive for cocaine. She had an arraignment scheduled for Thursday, but the result of that hearing was not updated on the court's website as of late Thursday. Also, as of late Thursday, she is incarcerated in Erie County Jail under a combined bond of $32,000.