Chase, crash end with Elyria man's arrest on DUI, weapons charges

ELYRIA — A police chase ended with the arrest of an Elyria man early Sunday. Investigators said the intoxicated driver crashed his car into a wall at West River Road and Gateway Boulevard. Brentton Drochak, 24, of Augdon Drive, was arrested on felony charges of having weapons under disability, failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, possession of drugs and obstructing official business. Drochak additionally was charged with misdemeanor having weapons while intoxicated, DUI, DUI refusal, no operator's license and reckless operation. He was taken to Lorain County Jail where he was being held on $55,000 bond. An officer on patrol just after 2 a.m. Sunday saw a silver Hyundai Genesis passing other vehicles over the double yellow line on Broad Street near Middle Avenue and gave chase. The driver looked at the officer as he passed and turned his headlights off, running a stop sign as well. After a brief chase, the car failed to make the right turn onto West River Road and crashed into the wall under the elevated train tracks. Drochak got out of the car and ran east with Officer Gage Hume chasing on foot. He jumped off a small ledge and fell onto West River Road, where several cars had to stop to avoid hitting him. Other officers arrived to assist, and Drochak said he was having an asthma attack. Officers noticed the smell of alcohol on him prior to him being transported to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center by LifeCare. A loaded .380-caliber IMEZ pistol was found on the driver's side floorboard of Drochak's car, next to a single oxycodone pain pill. Drochak told police he bought the gun "on the streets" knowing that he was a convicted felon due to a 2015 drug conviction. Drochak also has previous arrests for traffic offenses including driving under suspension, drug charges and contempt charges, according to jail records. Drochak refused to provide a urine sample, told officers he was considering suicide, had been drinking tequila at a nearby bar and had also smoked marijuana. He also said he was upset over an ex-girlfriend showing up at the same bar with another man, and was chasing that man in his car when the officer tried to stop him. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on Twitter.