NEW ATHENS — A police chase ended in Harrison County on Tuesday with the driver of a stolen car in custody.

Lt. James Faunda of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the incident began when a man stole a Ford pickup truck with a utility trailer attached from a township near Pittsburgh. The theft was quickly noticed, and local police issued a “Be On The Lookout” alert to law enforcement in the tri-state area. Faunda said an OSHP trooper noticed the pickup truck heading west on US 22 without the trailer, which had been removed near Steubenville.

The truck was spotted again on U.S. 22 in Harrison County by another trooper, who called for backup from other law enforcement units before attempting to initiate a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle refused to pull over and led “multiple units” on a chase through the county. Faunda said that the short pursuit wasn’t very fast paced, with speeds reaching only around 40-50 mph.

The chase didn’t last long, ending in New Athens about 2 miles away from its starting point. Multiple law enforcement units stopped the truck.

Faunda said the driver was arrested and taken to the Harrison County Jail on charges of fleeing and eluding an officer. He added that there also was a hold order on the man from Pennsylvania for the initial theft of the truck. Faunda did not provide details about the man’s identity.