Authorities Question Suspect After Body Found Along Road - WTRF 7 News Sports Weather - Wheeling Steubenville

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The Ohio State Highway Patrol Thursday said they have seized and impounded a vehicle and questioned a suspect in Wednesday morning's hit and run along US Route 40.

Authorities said a vehicle's side mirror was left at the scene and the vehicle seized has a side mirror missing.

Authorities said forensic evidence from the vehicle and scene have been sent to the lab.

No charges have been filed at this time, but a report will be sent to the prosecutor.

Authorities said contrary to the rumor, the suspect was not identified from a tip from anyone.

They say no one called in any tips in the case, and said physical evidence led them to the suspect.

The body of 31-year-old Jason Cattane was discovered in a ditch along US Route 40 near Ebbert's Farm Market Wednesday at daybreak.

Officials believe he was killed between midnight and two a.m.

ORIGINAL STORY

Officials may have found and impounded the vehicle that killed a pedestrian Tuesday night outside St. Clairsville.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is not confirming that, but officials say they will make a statement in the morning.

In the meantime, a 31-year-old man is dead and the discovery of his body is a shock to the entire community.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol confirms that the dead man is 31-year-old Jason Cattane of Bridgeport.

They say his body was face-down in a ditch on U.S. Route 40 at the intersection of North Ebbert Road.

It was discovered by a 17-year-old boy going out for a run as the sun came up.

"I was going for a run," said Aaron Ebbert of Ebbert's Road. "And when I got to the stop sign, I saw two shoes, spread apart. And when I saw the two shoes, I realized there was probably a body hidden. And I looked in the ditch and I found the body."

His mother, Lova Ebbert, says her son came back up the driveway and got her.

"The car came back up and he laid on the horn, then he opened the side door and said, 'Mom, get in. Get in,'  said Lova Ebbert. "So I got in and he said I had to see this."

They went down to the intersection, looked at the body and called 9-1-1.

The hit-and-run driver had long since left the scene.

Authorities believe the victim didn't suffer all night.

They believe he died quickly.

"I would say from the trauma, that it was probably immediate," noted Sgt. Don Britton. "One would hope so."

While most people find this crime shockingly cruel and cowardly, patrol officials say it's not all that rare.

"Unfortunately, we've seen it happen many times," said Sgt. Britton. "We've had family members leave other family members in cars and flee the scene. So it's nothing that's shocking to law enforcement."

The mother of the boy who discovered the body is horrified at the senseless act.

"The party that hit him may have been drunk," said Lova Ebbert. "They took off. It's very criminal. It's so wrong to not try to help someone. There is no excuse for that at all."

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Ohio State Highway Patrol at (740) 695-0915.

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