The driver of a red Chevrolet Camaro has been taken to the hospital following a pursuit, originating inside the City limits, that damaged four law enforcement vehicles.

Friday afternoon, the Zanesville Police Department received reports of a driver acting erratic in the Moto Mart parking lot on Maple Avenue and then driving erratically once he entered the roadway.

A nearby officer began following the vehicle and a pursuit ensued.

“He was throwing money out the window while we were pursuing him,” Zanesville Police Chief Tony Coury said.

Beginning on Maple Avenue, the pursuit exited the City and into Nashport where the driver became more reckless.

A ZPD officer attempted to stop the driver by hitting the man’s car with his cruiser in the Dollar General parking lot in Nashport.

“From the officer’s statement, he was concerned for everybody’s welfare in Nashport and he didn’t want that vehicle to get back on the roadway and he tried to stop him there in the parking lot,” Coury said. “He was still able to get away.”

The driver, whose name has not been released, then began driving back toward the City where his path was obstructed by traffic stopped due to the approaching pursuit.

The driver attempted to go around a semi that was stopped in the roadway and drove into a culvert on SR-60 near Olde Falls Road, wrecking his vehicle.

“He tried to go around him to flee and, of course, struck that culvert quite hard which caused him to sustain all his injuries,” Coury said.

Coury added that the stopped semi helped the pursuit by obstructing the driver’s path back into the City.

“Which really did save us because we were concerned that the vehicle may enter back into the city where the percentages of somebody getting injured would have been much higher,” Coury said.

The driver sustained a possible broken leg and was bleeding profusely from his nose following the crash.

The damaged law enforcement vehicles included one ZPD cruiser, which will be out of service, and three Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office cruiser which Coury said appear to still be operable.

The northbound lane of SR-60 was closed from Northpointe Drive to Fairview Road. The southbound lane was closed from Fairview Raod to Olde Falls Road.

Another accident resulted from the pursuit in front of McHugh’s on Maple Avenue.

According to Coury, the Ohio State Highway Patrol encountered the same driver last week during an OVI-related situation.

It’s unknown if alcohol or drugs played a factor in Friday’s pursuit.

Authorities are attempting to collect the money that the driver tossed out the window. Anyone that may have picked up any money from the pursuit is asked to return the money to the Zanesville Police Department.

No officers sustained major injuries during the pursuit, although one officer did report a hand injury.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is assisting ZPD with the crash investigation. The Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the pursuit. Charges are pending upon completion of the investigation.

“This is the second major incident we’ve had in 24 hours, it’s just getting worse and worse,” Coury said.

To read more about the incident from Thursday evening, click here: Zanesville police officers injured during struggle with evicted renter refusing to leave