The Montgomery County Coroner's Office is awaiting additional information from the Ohio State Highway Patrol before making an official ruling on the death of a pedestrian struck during Thursday's high-speed police pursuit.
State patrol is investigating the crash that resulted in the death of Agyasi J. Ector, according to Ken Betz,. executive director of the coroner's office.
A representative for the Ohio State Highway Patrol could not be immediately reached for comment Monday morning.
Preliminary autopsy results indicate that Ector died as a result of an accident and that trauma appears to be the cause of death, according to Betz.
An early review of the July 24 incident indicates that Trotwood police followed procedures in the pursuit, according to Trotwood Police Capt. John Porter.
"Our preliminary investigation shows that the officers acted appropriately and according to the pursuit procedures," Porter said. "We're still investigating that, and that's a separate investigation that's going on now at this time also."
Officials have not released the names or other details about the two 20-something males they were pursuing. Both were injured when their black sedan swerved across Shiloh Springs Road, hit Ector as he walked on a sidewalk and snapped a telephone pole before landing in a ditch near Lowe's. They were treated and released from a local hospital, but remained in police custody Friday.
The suspects could be charged with murder, felonious assault and various traffic violations, according to Porter.
Representatives of the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office had a meeting on Friday with law enforcement officials involved with the investigation, according to Greg Flannagan, spokesman for the county prosecutor's office.
"No one has requested a prosecutor's panel and no charges have been approved by our office at this point," Flannagan said.
Thursday's chase started in Harrison Twp. just after 2 p.m. when Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies attempted to stop one of the suspects for questioning in connection to a drug investigation, Porter said, adding there was no arrest warrant. But the man got into the car and reportedly rammed two cruisers before speeding toward Trotwood.
Trotwood's portion of the pursuit lasted about three minutes when the suspects' vehicle reached speeds of 100 mph along eastbound Shiloh Springs Road, Porter said. He added that the lead Trotwood cruiser was perhaps a quarter-mile behind the suspects' vehicle when it crashed.
Ector's uncle, Harry Ector, said his nephew was just walking to work at Trotwood's Office Depot when the accident happened. A manager at Office Depot said he was not allowed to comment.
"This just shouldn't have happened," Harry Ector said. "He probably had his earbuds in and couldn't hear the high-speed chase and everything."
Ector, known to family and friends as AJ, is the fifth person in the Dayton-area to die since 2011 because of high-speed pursuits.
