Driver Leads Chase Through Brook Park with Toddler Aboard

BROOK PARK, Ohio (WOIO) - After a traffic stop on Thursday, a motorist escaped from law enforcement officials, with authorities stating that there was a two-year-old child in the vehicle at the time.

The Brook Park Police attempted to stop Elijah Martinez from Cleveland around 11:17 a.m. on Brookpark Road because a license plate check indicated he didn’t possess a valid driver’s license.

shortly afterward, Martinez seemed to indicate they were stopping, but then joined the queue at a nearby fast-food restaurant’s drive-thru lane.

"The officer remained behind him, keeping both the lights and sirens activated. After he understood that the officer had no intention of leaving, he abandoned the drive-thru lane, returned onto the city streets, and sped off," stated Chief Edward Powers from the Brook Park Police Department.

Upon leaving the parking lot, footage captures Martinez narrowly avoiding an accident with a semi-tractor trailer that honked loudly.

The police eventually halted Martinez close to the intersection of West 130th and Bellaire Road in Cleveland.

The police were aware that there was a woman inside the car, however, the child was discovered when officers conducted an inspection of the vehicle. They stated that the child and the woman had been positioned right in front of where the truck struck nearly destroying the car completely.

Chief Powers stated that what might have initially been a small traffic violation has escalated into a felony charge against Martinez.

The police are asking all motorists to comply with requests from officers by pulling over as needed.

"They aren't considering who else might be in the vehicle? If there's a kid inside, their focus seems to be solely on themselves. This often endangers many individuals; however, stopping could resolve everything without escalating into something worse than anticipated," stated Powers.

Martinez faces felony charges for evading and additional counts may be brought forth by the grand jury.