Fleeing Driver Crashes into Popular Stark County Ice Cream Shop

An erratic driver fleeing police crashed into a popular ice cream shop in Stark County, causing extensive damage to the building and forcing the business to close temporarily.

The incident occurred on July 16, 2023, at approximately 7:30 p.m., when police received a report of an erratic driver traveling on Route 224 in Alliance, Ohio. Officers attempted to pull over the driver, but the driver refused to stop and led police on a short pursuit.

The chase ended when the fleeing driver lost control of their vehicle and crashed into the front of Handel's Ice Cream shop, located at 2336 W. State St. in Alliance.

The impact of the crash caused significant structural damage to the building, with the entire front wall being destroyed. The driver and a passenger in the fleeing vehicle were transported to a local hospital with undisclosed injuries.

No one inside the ice cream shop was injured, but the business was forced to close temporarily while repairs are made.

According to Handel's owner, Jim Hannan, the damage to the building is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hannan said he is grateful that no one was seriously injured in the crash.

"It's just a devastating blow to our business," Hannan said. "We're just trying to pick up the pieces and figure out what to do next."

Police are still investigating the crash and have not yet released the name of the driver or the charges they will be facing.