Police: Shooting suspect in custody, 3 drivers transported to hospital after pursuit (UPDATE)

Elyria police have confirmed a suspect is in custody after a pursuit that resulted in a two-vehicle, head-on collision Thursday afternoon. Terrence Jackson, 38, of Lorain was transported to hospital after leading police on a chase along state Route 2, a release Thursday said. Three individuals were also transported to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center. "Elyria PD was pursuing a suspect that was involved, supposedly, in a shooting," said Major A.J. Torres with the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, which was assisting the Elyria Police Department at the scene Thursday. "It was one of the vehicles involved, and he ended up driving westbound in the eastbound lane. … It involved four to five cars, including the suspect vehicle." The release said police observed Jackson on Lake Avenue near the north Elyria city limits driving a black Jeep suspected to be involved in recent drive-by shootings. Jackson initially complied when police pulled the car over, but then fled west in his vehicle. Jackson then entered state Route 2 via the eastbound exit ramp, driving westbound in the eastbound lanes, the release said, when police lost sight of his vehicle. The vehicle then collided with another near the North Ridge Road overpass. Four additional vehicles were damaged in the crash. Elyria police found a handgun in the vehicle they saw was consistent with evidence from at least one of the shootings under investigation. Jackson will be transported to the Lorain County Jail once released from hospital. He currently faces four felonies — failure to comply, having weapons under disability, carrying a concealed weapon and improperly handling firearms in a vehicle — and one misdemeanor for driving under suspension. Additional charges are expected in connection to the shootings. "Our thoughts are with the motorists injured in this dangerous incident, and we wish them a full and speedy recovery," Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said in the release. A line of vehicles remained at a standstill along state Route 2 Thursday after the head-on collision that took place in the eastbound lanes at approximately 2 p.m. Emergency personnel from the Elyria Township Fire Department also responded to the incident. According to a video posted to Facebook, a white vehicle appeared to have sustained severe damage to its front end underneath the bridge of North Ridge Road, which passes over state Route 2. Debris remained scattered across the highway lanes as emergency response personnel continued to arrive at the scene. In front of the wrecked vehicle, several other nonemergency vehicles could be seen pulled to the side of the highway, their doors ajar. As a result of the crash, a portion of state Route 2 between state Route 58 and Middle Ridge was closed at about 2 p.m., according to the Amherst Police Department. The agency announced on its Facebook page that the road was open as of 4:10 p.m. The State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. Chronicle reporter Richard Perrins contributed to this report. Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com