A Sciotoville man has been arrested and several people injured after a pursuit involving the Ohio State Highway Patrol and a stolen vehicle.

John Fout, 32, has been charged with fleeing and eluding, a second-degree felony; receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony; and driving under suspension, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Troopers from the Portsmouth Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol began pursuing a vehicle in Wheelersburg they said was stolen about 1:22 p.m. Thursday on Bennett School House Road in South Webster. That chase ended, troopers said, when the driver of the vehicle lost control in a curve and drove off the road and struck a fence post and tree on Laurel Lick Road in South Webster.

The OSHP said Fout, passengers Michael Hart, 38, and Carry Haddox, 31, also of Sciotoville and Heidi Burchett, 27, of Minford were transported to Southern Ohio Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Fout and Hart were later transported to St. Mary’s Hospital, where Fout was released later in the day and Hart remains in stable condition.

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.