Teenager in jail after 120 mph pursuit

VERMILION — An 18-year-old Cleveland area man found himself in jail after police say he led them on a pursuit Saturday evening that reached 120 mph on Ohio 2.Romell Sims of University Heights, along with three of his friends, were in a rental car heading from Cleveland to the Sandusky area to spend a day at Cedar Point on Sunday.Instead, he will spend the day in the Lorain County Jail on a felony charge of fleeing and eluding and misdemeanor charges of speeding and reckless operation, said Vermilion Sgt. Jeff Chandler.A Vermilion police officer clocked the vehicle at 86 miles per hour about 8:30 p.m. on Ohio 2 near a Vermilion exit. The officer attempted to stop the car but Sims instead just went faster.."He claims he never saw us. They were just jamming to the music and got caught up in the moment," Chandler said.Police are not buying it. They allege Sims was evading them."He was weaving in and out of traffic and he used the berm one time," Chandler said.The chase reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour. Traffic on Ohio 2 was mostly light, but in some areas it was a little congested, he said."Our officer in the pursuit was highly upset because of the wanton disregard of safety. If he (Sims) had lost control those kids would be seriously injured or dead. He could have hurt other drivers," Chandler said.The Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Erie County Sheriff's office and Huron police assisted Vermilion, Chandler said.The pursuit came to an end at the Rye Beach Road exit when the Erie County Sheriff's office used stop sticks to deflate all four tires of the rental vehicle.Law enforcement ordered the teenagers out of the vehicle at gunpoint and took them into custody without incident.Vermilion police charged passenger Dameon Harris, 19, of Cleveland, with possession of marijuana and passenger Daiwan Wiggins, 18, of Willoughby Hills, with underage possession of alcohol. The fourth passenger was released without any charges.