LAKE COUNTY — Indiana State Police Troopers found themselves in the middle of a real traffic problem on Interstate-65 near its end point in Lake County late Tuesday.
It started after 10 p.m. when three troopers in three police cars were dispatched to a vehicle going southbound in the northbound lanes of the highway. When they caught up to the 2011 Dodge Charger, the driver had shifted into reverse on the left shoulder and was scraping against the concrete barrier as the car's tires went flat.
As explained in a state police news release, the driver wouldn't stop and resumed traveling south in the northbound lanes. The troopers then turned their vehicles in an attempt to block the driver from hitting other vehicles head-on. At that point, one trooper's car was struck by the Charger.
The driver then turned around and headed north in the northbound lanes, only to make another attempt at reversing direction and going against traffic. Troopers were able to box the car in, but not before two more ISP vehicles were hit.
As the suspect was being arrested, a loaded handgun was located under the man. He had been sitting on it as he was driving. The man appeared to have been drinking. At a local hospital, he tested at three times the legal limit.
The suspect is a 39-year-old man from northwestern Indiana and he faces eight charges, including resisting law enforcement, and operating while intoxicated.
