CRAWFORD COUNTY—On August 6, 2023, at 4:50 PM, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting a pick-up truck crash and rollover on Kiess Road, south of the intersection of Kiess Road and SR 98. The incident led to a foot pursuit and arrest of the driver.
Members of the Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department and Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the scene following the initial report. Before their arrival, the Sheriff’s Office received a subsequent call, indicating that the driver had exited the pick-up truck and was attempting to leave the crash site. Despite efforts from bystanders to keep him on scene, the driver continued to walk away.
Upon the Deputies’ arrival, they located the driver, identified as thirty-two-year-old Jesse D. Baird, near the Riley Reservoir, initiating a foot pursuit. Authorities managed to apprehend Baird in a wooded area just west of the reservoir.
Baird sustained minor injuries in the crash and was attended to by Life First Ambulance Service. After receiving medical clearance from Bucyrus Community Hospital, he was released into custody. Reports indicate that Baird was driving a 2004 Dodge 2500, black in color, heading north on Kiess Road south of SR 98 when the accident occurred. The vehicle veered off the east side of the road, overcorrected, and then careened off the west side, colliding with a ditch and several trees before rolling onto its driver’s side.
At the time of the crash, there were no other occupants in the vehicle. Hensley’s Towing was called to remove the damaged truck from the scene.
Upon being medically cleared, Baird was arrested for Probation Violation and transported to the Crawford County Jail. The incident remains under investigation, and once completed, the case will be forwarded to the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office for potential criminal charges.