(Greensburg, IN) — Two men from Dayton, Ohio, are in custody after leading Indiana law enforcement on a chaotic pair of simultaneous high-speed pursuits along Interstate 74 on Friday — chases that unfolded just miles apart, endangered motorists in a construction zone, and at one point nearly struck a deputy who dove into a roadside ditch to avoid being hit.
Police say it began when Decatur County Communications received a report of a stolen black Jeep Wrangler with a broken passenger side rear window heading westbound near mile marker 171 on I-74. Units from the Greensburg Police Department and the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department scrambled to intercept it.
A sheriff’s deputy spotted the Jeep near mile marker 138. The moment the deputy attempted a traffic stop, the driver bolted.
What followed was a multi-mile pursuit through an active construction zone — a corridor already dangerous for drivers under normal conditions. Police say the suspect nearly caused several accidents with civilian motorists and came dangerously close to hitting assisting law enforcement vehicles. Officers deployed tire deflation devices, but the driver managed to thread past them, exiting onto North State Road 3 before re-entering I-74 eastbound at mile marker 134.
The situation then turned even more harrowing. As a deputy scrambled to place tire deflation devices in the roadway, the fleeing Jeep swerved directly toward him. The deputy ran into a nearby ditch — and from there, still managed to successfully deploy the devices.
They worked. The Jeep continued east before pulling over into a ditch near mile marker 136. The driver surrendered and was apprehended without incident by Greensburg Police.
He was identified as 19-year-old Dreonne McComb of Dayton, Ohio.
But that was only half the story.
While officers were still in active pursuit of McComb, dispatchers received a second, separate stolen-vehicle report: another Jeep Wrangler — also with a broken window — heading westbound near mile marker 143 near New Point. The Ripley County Sheriff’s Department began that pursuit as the second Jeep exited the highway.
Greensburg Police and Decatur County Sheriff’s deputies moved to intercept. The second suspect fled eastbound on State Road 46, barreling through Batesville before the pursuit ultimately concluded in Franklin County, east of Batesville. The driver crashed, led officers on a short foot pursuit, and was taken into custody without incident.
That suspect was identified as 23-year-old Tayvion M. Hill-Ware, also of Dayton, Ohio, and was placed in custody by the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office.
The near-simultaneous nature of the two incidents — two stolen Jeep Wranglers, both with broken windows, both operated by men from the same Ohio city — drew immediate attention from investigators. Authorities said Friday the investigation remains ongoing.
The Greensburg Police Department thanked more than a dozen agencies for their assistance, including Indiana State Police; the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office; Ripley County Sheriff’s Office; Batesville Police Department; Batesville Fire Department, and multiple dispatch and towing services.
No officers or civilians were reported injured.
