CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio – A routine traffic stop escalated into a brief chase on March 7, 2026, when Circleville Police Officer Tyler Hopkins spotted a dark-colored mini-bike without lights carrying three males on East Main Street around 3:43 a.m. The vehicle fled, veering onto sidewalks and alleys before crashing near Eva Drive. Officers located two suspects, 19-year-old Travis Steven William Thompson of Columbus and 17-year-old Hunter Douglas Reedy of Thurston, with the mini-bike found damaged nearby. Reedy, a juvenile passenger, was released to his mother without charges after declining medical care.
Thompson initially admitted to driving and showed clear signs of impairment, including slurred speech, dilated pupils, and a strong alcohol odor. He confessed to consuming two drinks and smoking marijuana recently. Field sobriety tests revealed failures across the board: six clues on horizontal gaze nystagmus, errors in alphabet recitation and backward counting, balance issues on walk-and-turn and one-leg stand. A breath test registered .160, leading to his arrest for OVI (4511.19A1A), failure to comply (2921.331), obstructing official business (2921.31), underage consumption (4301.69E), reckless operation (4511.20), and no tail lights (4513.05).
Hours later, at 11:39 a.m., 24-year-old Ryan Allen Queen of Circleville turned himself in, claiming he was the actual driver and that Thompson had covered for him out of fear, with friends encouraging the flight. Queen provided a voluntary statement, resulting in charges against him for obstructing official business and failure to comply. This confession may impact Thompson’s failure to comply charge, though he still faces OVI and reckless operation.
Thompson refused a urine test at the station and was cited with a mandatory court appearance on March 9, 2026, in Circleville Municipal Court. Follow-up included requests for surveillance from Byers Dental. The incident underscores impaired driving risks in south central Ohio.
