An intense incident on Northern Indiana roads yesterday morning left five people hospitalized, including an Indiana State Trooper. The events began with a high-speed pursuit and ended in a major collision involving three vehicles on U.S. 33.
At approximately 8:25 a.m., a state trooper clocked a 2011 Mercedes C-Class speeding in excess of 100 mph on U.S. Highway 6, near Ligonier. The driver, identified by 95.3 MNC as 23-year-old Ethan Aza of Warsaw, allegedly led the trooper on a high-speed chase upon the officer's attempt to conduct a traffic stop. Putting public safety first, the trooper aborted the pursuit as it neared Ligonier's populous areas. However, the chase's termination offered little solace as events swiftly took a grave turn.
Soon after the chase ended, Aza's vehicle, still at a dangerous speed, disobeyed a traffic light and collided into the back of a 2019 Nissan Rogue on U.S. Highway 33, just south of its intersection with U.S. Highway 6. The impact propelled the Nissan into a nearby ditch, severely damaged and tipped onto its side. Adding to the chaos, Aza's Mercedes skidded into the opposite lane, sideswiping a 2004 Acura, as reported by FOX59.
The collisions resulted in injuries to all parties involved. Aza was extricated from his vehicle with serious injuries and taken to Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne. As per details from IUStv, the occupants of the Nissan—a passenger and the driver—were critically injured, necessitating a medical airlift for the passenger and an ambulance for the driver. The Acura's driver and passenger escape with minor injuries, taken to a local hospital.
The trooper who had chased Aza and was one of the first on the collision scene suffered lacerations while rescuing the Nissan's occupants. He received treatment at Parkview Noble Hospital in Kendallville and was later discharged. The intersection remained closed for several hours as law enforcement investigated and cleared the wreckage. Indiana State Police suspect excessive speed, alcohol, and drugs were contributory factors in the crash, and, as highlighted by multiple reports, criminal charges are anticipated pending the results of the investigation.
