An incident on Indiana's I-80/I-94 culminated in the arrest of a Hammond man early Monday morning after he crashed into a police vehicle and fled the scene, authorities reported. The chain of events began as Indiana State Police troopers were attending to an unrelated crash near Calumet Avenue when 26-year-old Kyle Barbour struck the officers' parked car. According to WISH-TV, Barbour, believed to have been driving under the influence, later attempted to flee by car and then on foot.
Following the impact, which occurred less than a mile from the Illinois border, Barbour's vehicle was found driving eastbound with only three functional wheels before it crashed into the median. As described by WGN-TV, debris from the initial collision with the police Dodge Charger also damaged an accompanying trooper’s vehicle. Subsequently, Barbour attempted, and failed, to commandeer a Hammond Fire Battalion Chief's marked vehicle amid his escape, police said.
The Indiana State Police managed to apprehend Barbour after he fled across the westbound lanes of the interstate. Upon his capture, Barbour was taken to the Lake County Jail where he now faces several misdemeanor charges, including operating while intoxicated endangering a person, failure to report a crash, and resisting law enforcement. FOX 32 Chicago noted that reckless driving causing property damage was also among the preliminary charges.
The two ISP troopers involved in the field sobriety test were fortunate to escape serious injury from this incident. Police emphasized that their patrol vehicles had been parked with emergency lights activated when Barbour's vehicle made contact, indicating a clear disregard for standard safety protocols. Barbour's case, currently pending legal proceedings, serves as a sober reminder of the dangers posed by impaired driving and the potential consequences that follow a collision and flight from law enforcement, as stated by authorities.
