Overview

• Deputies tried to stop a driver around 1:16 a.m. Sunday near St. Clair Avenue and East 13th Street for erratic, headlight-off driving before a supervisor approved a pursuit.
• About two minutes later, the fleeing vehicle struck a car at St. Clair Avenue and Addison Road, killing 37-year-old Sharday Elder of Willoughby and injuring multiple people.
• The suspect, 24-year-old Jaymore L. Whitaker II, was arrested at the hospital on aggravated vehicular homicide and suspected OVI as investigators reported finding open alcohol containers in his car.
• Two passengers in the suspect’s vehicle, including a 16-year-old, were hospitalized with serious injuries, a passenger in Elder’s car was evaluated at a hospital, and a deputy was treated for injuries.
• Sheriff Harold Pretel said an administrative review is underway alongside criminal and crash investigations, two deputies are on paid leave, reported chase speeds reached 80–100 mph, and county leaders signaled a fresh review of the Downtown Safety Patrol’s role and roughly $1.2 million annual cost after a similar fatal pursuit in March.