Lorain man pleads guilty in case where chase led to crash, recovered handgun

A Lorain man who crashed into another car while fleeing police last year, injuring himself and two others, has pleaded guilty to five felonies and a misdemeanor. Terrence Jackson, 38, of Fillmore Avenue, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court to two counts of having weapons under disability and one count each of failure to comply, vehicular assault, and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, all felonies, plus driving under suspension, a misdemeanor. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18 in Judge Raymond Ewers' courtroom. Firearm specifications on some of the charges will mean mandatory prison time. Jackson was being held in the Lorain County Jail on $1.33 million bond, according to jail records. A message seeking comment on the plea was left for his attorney. Elyria police and the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office said Jackson drove a 2014 Jeep the wrong way on state Route 2 while fleeing police on June 26. He had a felony warrant out for his arrest and was a suspect in more than one drive-by shooting. Jackson drove west in the eastbound lanes of Route 2, until he hit another car head-on, was ejected and injured. He and two victims were transported to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center. The roadway was shut down for more than two hours. Police recovered a Glock handgun that will be forfeited to the government. Jackson has five other open cases in Common Pleas Court. He was charged in December with five counts of felonious assault and one count of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or school safety zone, all with firearm and repeat violent offender specifications, and two counts of having weapons under disability in an April 2025 drive-by shooting. All are felonies. Another 2025 case involves three felony domestic violence and one felony failure to comply charge. Jackson further is charged with two counts of felonious assault for allegedly stabbing another man in Lorain in July 2024, while also facing felony evidence tampering, cocaine trafficking, cocaine and fentanyl possession, possession of criminal tools and DUI charges from 2023 and 2024. He has pleaded not guilty in all cases. Further hearings are March 11 with trials scheduled in August. Jackson has prior convictions for drug possession, domestic violence, violating a protection order, trafficking in cocaine, attempted aggravated assault, robbery and attempted burglary dating back to 2008, according to court records. He also has five prior DUI convictions, and his driver's license is suspended for life. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.