PICKAWAY COUNTY, OH – Allen A. Hunt, 58, of 1124 E. Innis Ave., Columbus, OH, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $9,069.90 in restitution. Hunt has also received a 10-year suspension of his driving privileges after being convicted of receiving stolen property and failing to comply with an order or signal of a police officer. The sentencing took place this week in Pickaway County Common Pleas Court.
The charges stem from an incident in August 2022 involving a high-speed chase in Commercial Point. Around 12:30 am on a Wednesday, Commercial Point Police were called to the area of the Foxfire New Builds construction site off Route 104, just north of Route 762, for a report of a suspicious vehicle. Officers discovered a large moving box truck with two individuals inside. Upon spotting the police, the suspects attempted to flee in the truck.
During the ensuing chase, the passenger jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. The Commercial Point unit radioed for assistance and continued pursuing the truck. The chase ended when Hunt, unfamiliar with the area, drove off the roadway and into a pond within the construction zone. The truck began sinking up to its windows, prompting the officer to call the Fire Department immediately. Hunt exited the truck and began swimming in the pond.
The Pickaway Sheriff’s Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol arrived on the scene shortly afterward. A Pickaway Sheriff unit apprehended the male passenger near Route 104. The Commercial Point unit lost sight of Hunt in the water, leading to the deployment of an OSP helicopter to aid in the search. Approximately 30 minutes later, the helicopter located Hunt, who was still in the pond and complaining of leg and back injuries. Unable to exit the pond on his own, he was transported to a local hospital.
