Two arrested after police chase ends in building crash in Parkersburg

Close
The pursuit ended at the intersection of Market Street and 5th Street when the suspect vehicle was involved in a crash with a Parkersburg Police cruiser.
Published: Jan. 29, 2025 at 7:38 PM EST|Updated: Jan. 30, 2025 at 1:20 PM EST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - Two people have been arrested after leading police in a car chase that ended in crash Wednesday night.

On January 29, 2025, at approximately 6:00 p.m., officers of the Parkersburg Police Department said they observed a vehicle linked to an ongoing narcotics investigation. The vehicle was seen traveling at a high rate of speed on 30th Street near Birch Street in a residential neighborhood.

The vehicle initially pulled over after a traffic stop was initiated. However, police say after an officer approached the vehicle on foot, the driver fled, leading officers on a high-speed pursuit.

Officials say, the chase extended north into Vienna, back through Parkersburg, and throughout Wood County. The suspect drove recklessly, swerving through traffic, traveling the wrong way on one-way streets, and reaching speeds over 100 mph on Route 50, the report says.

The pursuit ended at the intersection of Market Street and 5th Street when the suspect vehicle was involved in a crash with a Parkersburg Police cruiser. During the collision, the police vehicle struck a building located at 422 Market Street.

The driver, later identified as Brandon Keishaun Reed, 25, of Detroit, MI, attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended a short distance from the crash scene.

Reed is being charged with Fleeing with Reckless Indifference Resulting in Bodily Injury, a felony under West Virginia law. Additionally, officers discovered that Reed had an active felony warrant in Cabell County, W.Va., for Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl).

The officer involved in the crash was transported by ambulance to a local medical facility for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Reed was also taken to a medical facility as a precaution.

The passenger in the suspect vehicle, Richard Matthew-Paris Harmon III, 31, also of Detroit, MI, was taken into custody and charged with Possession of Marijuana.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed. The vehicle crash aspect of the incident is being handled by the Wood County Crash Team.

Reed and Harmon have both been arraigned.

Two people from Michigan have been arrested after a police chase leads to the police cruiser crashing in the Jimmy Johns building on Market St.

See an error in our reporting? Send us an email by clicking here!