Westmoreland City man arrested after car chase, crash, dump truck theft
A Westmoreland City man was arrested Sunday after leading state troopers on a car chase, fleeing the scene of a crash and stealing a commercial vehicle in Indiana County.
Police stopped Terry Bruce Ely Jr.’s 2008 Chevrolet Aveo on Sunday around 5:19 p.m. on Route 119 in Center Township after learning he was wanted and had a suspended driver’s license. Ely, who had one passenger in his car, drove away, heading north at a high rate of speed before taking the Wayne Avenue Exit. The pursuit continued onto Old Route 119 South, where police lost sight of him.
Police then found a three-vehicle crash near the road’s intersection with Lockard Avenue Extension and detained the man who was the passenger in the car. They could not find Ely after searching the area.
A crash investigation revealed Ely attempted to pass a Ford Ranger, which also was traveling south on Old Route 119. Ely crossed the double yellow lines and traveled into the path of an oncoming Toyota Camry, hitting it head-on before striking the Ford Ranger.
The driver of the Toyota Camry and two occupants in the Ford Ranger did not report any injuries.
Ely ran from the scene of the crash, went to the nearby Martin’s Diesel Garage and stole an unlocked dump truck belonging to Weimer Trucking, police said.
An in-cab camera and a tracking device that was installed in the truck indicated Ely drove it to North Fifth Street and Burns Avenue in Indiana Borough, police said.
Troopers later found Ely about 7 p.m. while searching his passenger’s Indiana Borough residence and took him into custody without incident.
Ely showed signs of impairment, police said, and was taken to Indiana Regional Medical Center for treatment of crash-related injuries before being transferred to the Indiana County Jail.
Troopers found various prescription medications and three stamp bags in Ely’s Aveo.
Ely, 34, was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, theft, DUI, accidents involving death or personal injury, recklessly endangering another person, possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia and numerous related charges.
He was arraigned Monday before District Judge Susanne V. Steffee and is being held in the Indiana County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 21.
Julia Maruca is a TribLive reporter covering health and the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She joined the Trib in 2022 after working at the Butler Eagle covering southwestern Butler County. She can be reached at jmaruca@triblive.com.
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