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Last updated on Thursday, February 9, 2017
(HUNTINGTON COUNTY) - A man from Huntington led Troopers from the Indiana State Police on a short vehicle pursuit in a stolen vehicle early Wednesday morning, only moments after it had been reported by the victim.
At approximately 6:30 a.m., a blue 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer was reported stolen from a residence inside the Huntington City limits. At approximately 6:54 a.m., Master Trooper Jamie Hotchkiss saw a vehicle in the area of Parkview Huntington Hospital and the YMCA which matched the description. When he was able to get in behind the vehicle, Hotchkiss saw that the license plate also matched that from the stolen vehicle.
Two additional Troopers joined Hotchkiss on U.S. 24 in the area of Old Fort Wayne Road, and when they activated their emergency lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle, the driver sped away eastbound on U.S. 24.
The suspect drove for a few miles before he turned around and headed back westbound on U.S. 24. Another Trooper placed stop sticks in the roadway near County Road 200 E, and when the suspect drove the Trailblazer over them, the tires began to deflate. The vehicle was then driven through the median and into the eastbound lanes of US 24 before colliding with a Huntington City Police car at approximately 7:03 a.m. Both vehicles came to a stop in the driving lane and outside shoulder of eastbound U.S. 24, which was closed for almost four hours while investigators worked at the scene.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital with a reported head injury in critical condition. His identity is being withheld until the notification of his family has been completed. The Huntington Police officer was not injured in the crash. The events surrounding this pursuit and subsequent crash remain under investigation and as more details become available, they will be released at the appropriate time.
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