SIDNEY — An investigation is continuing after a vehicle containing cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone, pills, criminal tools, and a large amount of jewelry, crashed into a home on Millcreek Road on the morning of Nov. 11.
Chief Deputy Jim Frye said the sheriff’s office is looking for Joshua Burks who has been identified as the driver of the vehicle.
According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch received a report of a vehicle into a house in the 4000 block of Hardin Wapakoneta Road at approximately 6:44 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2020.
Upon arrival, deputies found a 2019 Chevy pickup had been traveling southbound on Hardin Wapakoneta Road, when for unknown reasons, the vehicle went off the left side of the road directly in front of the driveway of 4625 Hardin Wapakoneta Road. The vehicle then proceeded into the ditch and across the driveway of 4606 Hardin Wapakoneta Road, where it then went airborne for about 24 feet. The vehicle then struck the concrete driveway of 4570 Hardin Wapakoneta Road, causing damage to the driveway and going airborne again for about 51 feet. The vehicle then continued traveling off the road and veering east, traveling into the back yard of 10011 Millcreek Road, where it then struck the back side of the residence causing severe damage to the house.
A witness on the scene advised deputies the driver of the vehicle had ran away from the truck and then came back offering one of the witnesses $5,000 to drive him away and say the vehicle was stolen. The witness refused and the driver ran from the scene.
K-9 units were called in and a track of the driver was established. During the track of the driver, a shirt belonging to the driver was located and the track was discontinued and the driver was not located.
Witnesses at the scene were shown photos and positively identified the driver as Joshua Burks. The vehicle came back to Burks Transportation, of 5905 Philadelphia Drive, Dayton, Ohio. The vehicle was towed to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for processing. A search warrant to search the vehicle was obtained.
During the search of the vehicle, the search yielded approximately 700 grams of cocaine, 300 grams of marijuana, 30 oxycodone pills, drug testing kits, drug cutting agents, scales, a large amount of jewelry and credit cards in the name of Josh Burks. Items from the vehicle to determine DNA was collected, along with the DNA and drugs, the items have been submitted to BCI&I for analysis.
On Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, at approximately 9 a.m., a search warrant was conducted at 10161 Schenk Road, Sidney. Other agencies assisted in the search of the residence, and at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation, those agencies will be identified at a later date. Joshua Burks is still at large.
Once the results are back from the lab, the case will be presented to Shelby County Prosecutor Tim Sell for review of possible charges. The case is still pending.
