Michigan man sentenced for driving impaired on I-75

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A Michigan man who caused at least five crashes while driving impaired on Interstate 75 is going to prison.

Jacob Joseph Calleja, 40, of East Tawas, appeared May 22 in the courtroom of Wood County Common Pleas Judge Molly Mack.

On June 21, an alert was issued in Hancock County for a reckless vehicle, driving at a high rate of speed and passing on the shoulder. The description was of a Sprinter van emitting heavy smoke.

An Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper was parked in the median near Ohio 582 and checked the speed of the van at 105 mph as it approached. The van was in the right lane and passed traffic on the right shoulder.

The trooper activated both lights and siren, but the van did not stop and continued northbound on I-75 at speeds of 100-110 mph.

The vehicle was passing on the shoulders as well as using all lanes of travel to pass traffic.

The vehicle was involved in at least five crashes – all side swipes — during the pursuit, which ended after the van struck stop sticks deployed on I-475 just south of the Maumee River.

The urine test was positive for marijuana.

Calleja pleaded guilty to failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony; and operating a vehicle while under the influence of a listed controlled substance or a listed metabolite of a controlled substance, a first-degree misdemeanor.

He was sentenced to 12 months in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for the failure to comply offence and 180 days for the OVI. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Calleja was given credit for the 155 days he was incarcerated.

His driver’s license will be suspended for six years.

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