Snowmobilers evade police, butt-dial 911, then get arrested

PORT CLINTON, Ohio -- Police in Port Clinton, Ohio, were in hot pursuit of two snowmobile drivers on city streets just after midnight Wednesday, WTOL-TV reports.

That's when they got some unexpected help in catching them -- from one of the snowmobilers - a pocket-dial was their undoing.

An officer was eastbound on Perry Street/State Route 163 when he spotted the two snowmobilers. Driving one in the Port Clinton, Ohio, city limits is illegal.

"It poses a safety hazard to both the operator of the snowmobile and the operators and anybody else that's out on the roadways at the time," said Sgt. Corbin Carpenter, Port Clinton Police Dept.

Carpenter says the snowmobilers took off -- down Perry Street, running red lights at Jefferson and then at Madison. They gave the officer the slip, until one of them accidentally called 911.

It's hard to hear what the suspects are saying on the call, but at one point they talk about taking Jackson Street, and then to West 3rd.

"I have a cell 911, open line, can't get anybody to answer me. Mapping is putting it at either 817 West 3rd or 823 West 3rd," the dispatcher says, radio-ing police.

Police realized the call was actually from the two men they were chasing. On West 3rd, they arrested Michael J. Davis and Kenneth Grimes Jr., charging them with operating snowmobiles and failure to comply.

"Well things like that sometimes happen. But the good part is that nobody got hurt out of it," Carpenter said.

You can hear the officer scold them on the 911 tape.

Officer: "If you would have stopped, you probably would have gotten a written warning."

Police did not confiscate the snowmobiles -- and the two were released. But they will have to go to court to face the charges.