A vehicle pursuit on I-94 that started in Porter County and ended in Lake County led to the arrest of a Crown Point man on Friday, according to Indiana State Police.
On Friday, at around 4:50 p.m., an Indiana State Police trooper was patrolling the I-94 westbound lanes near the Portage exit, when he observed a Chevrolet Camaro aggressively driving. Police say the driver was weaving in and out of traffic and speeding. The trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver drove onto the shoulder and accelerated away from the trooper. A pursuit was initiated as the vehicle continued to drive westbound on I-94. The driver lost control of the Camaro at the 14.1 mile-marker, striking a guardrail before hitting another vehicle. The Camaro briefly pulled over while the second vehicle, a Dodge Charger, was disabled in the westbound lanes. The trooper attempted to apprehend the driver of the Camaro; however, the driver quickly drove away from the crash scene, dragging the rear bumper of the Camaro. The trooper remained at the scene of the crash to administer first aid to the occupants of the Dodge Charger while relaying information to other troopers of the fleeing vehicle.
The Camaro was seen exiting I-94 and traveling northbound on Broadway into Gary. Another trooper along with officers from the Gary Police Department located the vehicle in an alley near 11th Avenue. A man was seen exiting the vehicle and running away from the area. The trooper then gave chase as the suspect led the officers on a foot pursuit through several yards and alleys. The trooper eventually caught up with the suspect and ordered the suspect to stop. Police say the suspect refused and was told if he didn’t stop, a taser would be deployed. The suspect continued to run and the trooper discharged his taser, successfully incapacitating the suspect. The suspect was then placed into handcuffs and was checked by paramedics for injuries. Once medically cleared, the suspect was transported to the Porter County Jail for processing.
The suspect, 21-year-old Marcellous Thomas Woods Jr., of Crown Point, is preliminarily charged with resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, resisting law enforcement, leaving the scene of an injury crash, operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license and reckless driving
The three occupants of the Dodge Charger were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.