Darke County pursuit ends in fatal crash on SR 47 near Union City

A high speed pursuit in Darke County ended in a fatal two vehicle crash Monday night on State Route 47 near the intersection of Ansonia Hunchbarger Road in Jackson Township, just north of Union City.

In a release from Sheriff Mark Whittaker, the Darke County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy spotted a westbound SUV traveling 79 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone near Detling Road, coming out of the Village of Ansonia, around 8:15 p.m. The deputy turned around, paced the vehicle at 100 miles per hour, and activated emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. Authorities say the SUV accelerated away, leading to a pursuit that lasted about five miles, with speeds reaching 124 miles per hour.

The sheriff’s office says the pursuit lasted less than three minutes before the SUV crashed into an eastbound vehicle on a curve at State Route 47 and Ansonia Hunchbarger Road.

The deputy reported the crash and checked for injuries. The female driver of the eastbound vehicle was conscious and alert with injuries. A female passenger in the fleeing SUV was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. The deputy detained the adult male driver of the SUV as he exited the vehicle.

Union City Fire and Rescue treated both drivers. The male driver of the fleeing SUV was transported by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital. The female driver of the other vehicle was transported to Reid Hospital in Richmond, Indiana. Union City Police also assisted at the scene.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and will present any charges connected to the crash to the Darke County Prosecutor’s Office. The Darke County Sheriff’s Office says it is investigating potential crimes related to fleeing and eluding, with the case to be forwarded to the prosecutor for review.

Additional information released by the Ohio State Highway Patrol identifies the driver of the fleeing Land Rover as Tarsem Singh, 33, of an address at large. He remains hospitalized and charges are pending. The passenger who died was a 17 year old female from the Union City area. Her name has not been released. The driver of the Jeep has been identified as Roxana Casarez Santiago, 35, of Union City, Indiana. She was treated and released.