Trio charged after high-speed motorcycle chase
FERRIS TOWNSHIP— Three local motorcyclists have been arrested and charged with crimes after a high-speed chase from police last Friday night.
Montcalm County Sheriff’s Deputy Clay Thomas attempted to make a traffic stop on Jesse Ellsworth, 37, of Crystal, Scott Ripley, 37, of Greenville, and Chad Simmons, 32, of Edmore, just before midnight Friday.
Chad Simmons
The three men were traveling westbound on Stanton Road from Waldron Road in Ferris Township, coming from a bar in Crystal. All three motorcyclists were allegedly traveling close to 100 mph and refused to stop, according to Montcalm County Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Russell.
Simmons eventually stopped on Pine Grove Road south of Stanton Road and was taken into custody.
Ellsworth allegedly stopped quickly and almost got hit by a deputy’s vehicle, according to Russell. As soon as the vehicle passed, Ellsworth allegedly took off again. He was arrested at his home in Crystal.
Jesse Ellsworth
Police obtained a warrant for Ripley and arrested him on Sunday at his home in Greenville.
Scott Ripley
Deputies Kevin Germain, Mike LeVand, Charles Mahar and Steve Snyder assisted in the chase.
Ellsworth and Ripley are each charged with fleeing and eluding.
Simmons is charged with operating under the influence. He was allegedly at almost twice the legal limit for alcohol, according to Russell.
All three men are out on bond from the Montcalm County Jail in Stanton.
Elisabeth Waldon
Elisabeth Waldon is news editor of The Daily News, where she began as an intern in 2001. Her beat includes courts/cops/crime and Montcalm County government. She is also editor of The Carson City Gazette. She loves investigative reporting, telling small-town stories, frequenting music halls, experimenting with photography and being a wife and mother in the "Panhandle" of Montcalm County.Elisabeth Waldon has written 555 articles.
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Lola, you don’t think it’s newsworthy that three men allegedly led police on a high-speed chase over 100 mph in the middle of the night? What qualifies as news to you because that seems pretty serious to me!
Lola you must be as dumb as the idiots that got busted let’s see speed limit normally is 55mph. Normally the police stop anyone that’s going over 5mph over the speed limit for someone to go over 100mph is considered wreckless driving which is a felony, and you normally lose your drivers license. I think for the news to report what happened to these idiots is a good learning tool for all the other idiots that want to drive 100mph.
Lola,
Did you ever consider that these three drunken idiots on motorcycles, going over 100 MPH may have had a CLUE on how, after being caught…it may have affected their lives???
Grow up! Dont blame the reporting media, nor the law officers doing their job.
You’re right, they havent went to court yet.
They were caught at the scene by five great law officers before they could hurt themselves, or others in a traffic crash.
Keeping that in mind, and “not having been to court yet” – Do you really think they will all plead “NOT GUILTY”??
ELISABETH and RYAN, you’re still my favorite journalists! – Your article was factual and unbiased