DARKE COUNTY — A police officer was injured while trying to apprehend a wrong-way driver after a crash in Darke County Friday evening.
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Around 5:24 p.m., the Darke County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center was informed by the Preble County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch that a blue Ford F-150 had been driving in the wrong lanes of I-70 and was then heading toward Darke County on US Route 127.
Darke County Dispatch then received several calls regarding the truck traveling northbound on US 127 at a very high rate of speed.
While looking for the truck, Darke County Sheriff’s Deputies were told the truck was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of US 127 and had been involved in a crash at the intersection of Kuckeberg Road.
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The preliminary investigation revealed that 40-year-old Andre Leininger of Celina was traveling northbound on US Route 127 in a blue Ford F-150 when he sideswiped a trailer being pulled by another pick-up truck just south of the US Route 36 overpass.
Leininger’s truck then crossed over to drive northbound in the southbound lanes of US 127.
He then struck a gray Toyota pick-up truck driven by 51-year-old Scott Price of Union City, Ohio, that was making a left turn toward Kruckberg Road.
After the crash, Leininger ran from the crash scene towards the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Cemetery.
A Greenville Police Officer pursued Leininger toward the cemetery, and while climbing over a fence, the officer fell and injured his shoulder.
The injured officer and another Greenville Police Officer were able to apprehend Leininger in the cemetery.
Leininger was uninjured in the crash, Price was treated and released at the scene. The injured officer was taken to Wayne Health.
Leininger was taken into custody for suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, according to the Darke County Sheriff’s Office. He is being held for felony obstructing official business.
The crash remains under investigation by the Darke County Sheriff’s Office.
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