WILLIAMPORT, OH — Court records confirm that 43-year-old James Picklesimer has officially entered guilty pleas for multiple felony charges, bringing closure to a dramatic, multi-jurisdictional high-speed chase that spanned two counties and concluded in a Pickaway County cornfield.
Picklesimer pleaded guilty to Felonious Assault on a Peace Officer, Failure to Comply with an Order or Signal of a Police Officer, and Receiving Stolen Property.
The high-stakes incident originally unfolded on the evening of September 17, beginning when the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance tracking a stolen red Toyota Tacoma heading toward Pickaway County. Pickaway County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the vehicle in the Williamsport area and attempted a traffic stop on State Route 22.
Refusing to pull over, Picklesimer accelerated to speeds exceeding 100 mph, aggressively attempting to run responding cruisers off the roadway as deputies tried to box him in. As the chase neared the intersection of State Route 22 and State Route 56, a waiting deputy successfully deployed spike strips, deflating both passenger-side tires.
Despite the tires completely disintegrating off the rims, Picklesimer continued fleeing at speeds over 50 mph into Circleville—with assistance from the Circleville Police Department and an Ohio State Highway Patrol tracking helicopter monitoring the vehicle from above. After briefly crossing into Fairfield County, Picklesimer encountered a construction zone on SR-22, forcing him to make a U-turn and head back through Circleville toward Williamsport.
With law enforcement maintaining pursuit, officers executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver near Williamsport, forcing the truck off the roadway and into an adjacent cornfield. Picklesimer surrendered to officers at the scene without further incident.
With his guilty pleas now entered in Pickaway County Common Pleas Court, Picklesimer awaits final sentencing on 12-9-2026.
