Newark man dies after jumping from Mount Vernon tower

MOUNT VERNON - A Newark man died Wednesday after reportedly jumping from the tower at Foundation Park in Mount Vernon.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office said the man's death is part of an investigation into a series of events that began around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday.

Police received reports of a truck driving at a high rate of speed near West Gambier Street and Park Street. Additional calls were received around the same time about an abandoned vehicle and a stolen vehicle from Sycamore Road.

Knox County officials said the description of the stolen vehicle matched the description of the truck. Reports came into the sheriff's office about the driver of the truck being in an altercation on West Gambier Street before driving on West High Street toward Harcourt Road.

Around 8:34 a.m., police got information that a truck had crashed in the area of Pittsburgh Avenue and the driver, a man, had fled on foot.

About six minutes later, at 8:40 a.m., a man was seen jumping from the Foundation Park tower, the sheriff's office said. 

The man was identified as 35-year-old Ricky D. Snyder Jr., of Newark. Snyder is the registered owner of the vehicle found abandoned on Sycamore Road.

Mount Vernon Police and the Knox County Coroner's Office are assisting the Knox County Sheriff's Office in the investigation.