Who are Elaine and Rodney Helman? Dayton couple who stole semi-truck and kidnapped driver shot dead by police
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, OHIO: The brave cops managed to rescue a trucker near Dayton airport after he was taken hostage by a local couple. They carjacked his semi-truck later at night, but after a three-hour-long chase, the couple was gunned down during a standoff. The footage shows a group of Ohio state troopers chasing a truck on Wednesday morning, August 2, while they exchanged fires with the pair who were in the cabin.
The truck driver appeared wearing an orange t-shirt, shorts, and socks, after the shootout with both his hands in the air. He suffered only minor injuries. It all began when the suspect couple was stopped by officers of the London Police Department, at 1 am for not having a rear light or registration. They then fled in their car, which they later left and hijacked a semi-truck.
Who are Elaine and Rodney Helman?
The Montgomery County Coroner's office has revealed the identity of the carjackers who were involved in the hijacking incident and were later killed in a shootout by Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers. Elaine Helman, 51, and her husband, Rodney Helman, 54, both died at Miami Valley Hospital.
As per authorities, While at the truck stop, the Helmans got themselves into an unlocked tractor-trailer cab with no trailer attached. They managed to flee in their stolen cab with the truck's driver inside. While they fled the truck stop, a London police cruiser was hit with no injuries to the officers.
Confrontation with a cop
This was followed by a chase by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and other agencies. The tractor-trailer crossed Clark, Greene, and Montgomery counties before it halted around 3.20 am on Interstate 70 West near the Dayton International Airport Access Road in the Vandalia area, as per the Daily Mail. An officer in London alleged that Rodney Helman aimed a firearm at him but he did not fire it.
When the Helmans were first stopped in their stolen car, the police body cam showed there was also a dog in it. When asked to show papers, Elaine said, “I just poked myself in the eye, with the scissors,” referring that they are on their way to an emergency. Rodney added that his documents were in her bag, and it was stolen earlier, “My social security, my license, everything was in that thing,” he told the cop.
No officers were injured during the shooting and the case is still being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Dayton International Airport Access Road was kept closed between Interstate 70 and US 40 but was reopened after cops got the situation under control.