Man arrested after wild driving spree, damaging property around the city of Willoughby

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio - A man was arrested after a wild driving spree, damaging property around the city of Willoughby Saturday night.

Around 7:42 pm, the Willoughby Police Department received numerous calls from motorists concerning a red Ford pick-up truck driving recklessly eastbound on State Route 84 in the area of State Route 91. 

The witnesses reported that the Ford had almost struck several vehicles in the area. Additional calls came in reporting that the Ford pick-up truck was observed traveling recklessly in the Willoughby Senior Center parking lot and doing "donuts" on the ball field.

Patrol officers arriving on scene found smoke and dusk in the air above the senior center and neighboring houses. Numerous children and pedestrians were outside in the immediate area. The Ford had left the scene, but the chain link and wooden fences that separate the parking lot and the ball field had been severely damaged from the Ford running over them. 

Several witnesses stated the male driver had fallen out of the truck as he was leaving the Browning Senior Center parking lot. Officers later discovered that the Ford had also struck the northwest corner of the senior center building as it was leaving.

Witnesses continued to call police to report that the Ford was traveling eastbound on Euclid Avenue heading into Downtown Willoughby. A patrol officer was able to stop the Ford without any further incident on Erie Street. The driver became combative with the patrol officers, making threats and attempting to break out of the cruiser while he was being transported back to the Willoughby Police Department. 

The driver was then taken to Lake West Medical Center for complaints of injury to his left leg and his neck from falling out of the truck. The driver continued to be combative towards hospital staff while inside the emergency room. No one else was reported injured from the incident. The truck was towed back to the WPD Impound Lot as evidence. A used "Dust-Off" aerosol can was found inside the driver's truck.  

Police said the driver, 24-year-old Ryan Christoph of Eastlake, was arrested and charged for felony vandalism, possession of criminal tools, and possession of harmful intoxicants for destroying property at the Willoughby Senior Center, located on Brown Avenue. 

Christoph is being held without bond at the Lake County Jail awaiting an arraignment hearing on Tuesday at the Willoughby Municipal Court.