Indiana State Police say a 29-year-old New Jersey man, Ivan Savych, attacked two semi-trucks with an axe on I-80 eastbound in Hammond on Friday, September 11, 2026, then fled from officers at speeds that reached 80 mph before Lake County deputies stopped his Volkswagen. Savych faces preliminary charges of felony resisting law enforcement and criminal mischief, according to CDLLife.
The first incident was reported at about 4:30 p.m. near the 1.9 mile-marker on I-80 eastbound at the Calumet Avenue overpass, according to Coastal TV News. A 2025 Freightliner was stopped on the inside shoulder when its driver saw a black 2011 Volkswagen with Illinois registration moving erratically. The Volkswagen stopped in front of the truck, and a man exited, yelled and struck the truck with an axe, according to WTHR. The blow reportedly punctured the radiator and broke a driver-side headlight.
Savych then reversed the Volkswagen, nearly hitting the truck, before retreating to his vehicle after the truck driver's large dog began barking inside the cab, per Coastal TV News. The retreat gave the first driver a chance to call it in, but the ordeal on the Borman Expressway was not over.
A Second Truck Targeted Near Cline Avenue
At about 4:49 p.m., 19 minutes after the first report, Indiana State Police received a report of a similar incident near the 5.4 mile-marker on I-80 eastbound by the Cline Avenue overpass. The driver of a 2023 Freightliner saw the Volkswagen traveling between lanes at about 10 mph and tried to avoid it, according to the ISP news release cited by Coastal TV News. The Volkswagen moved in front of the rig and forced it to stop near Burr Street, while CDLLife reports.
Savych struck the second semi with an axe as well, according to Coastal TV News. When the trooper activated emergency lights and sirens, the outlet's report notes Savych accelerated from 16 mph to 60 mph, eventually reaching speeds up to 80 mph as he tried to flee.
Deputies Box In the Volkswagen, Recover the Axe
Lake County Sheriff's deputies executed a tactical maneuver to box in the Volkswagen and bring it to a stop, ending the chase. Investigating officers then recovered a long-handled axe with a leather blade cover from inside the car, according to WBIW.
A trooper noted that Savych did not speak English and was uncooperative during the felony traffic stop, per the same CDLLife account, complicating the scene before he was booked into the Lake County Jail. Beyond the felony resisting law enforcement and criminal mischief charges, WTHR reports police also cited Savych for operating a vehicle with expired plates. The Volkswagen displayed Illinois registration.
What the Felony Charge Could Mean
Under Indiana Code § 35-44.1-3-1, resisting law enforcement by fleeing in a motor vehicle is classified as a Level 6 felony, according to Razumich & Associates. That charge carries a statutory penalty range of six months to 2.5 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. It remains unclear whether the Lake County Prosecutor's Office will pursue additional charges tied to the axe attacks themselves, and Savych's motive has not been disclosed.
How Indiana Credit Time Works
The available sentencing guidance does not establish a typical sentence for a Level 6 felony resisting-law-enforcement case. It does explain that eligible people who are imprisoned for a Level 6 felony or misdemeanor serve one actual day and earn one credit day, according to the Indiana Judicial Branch. Eligibility restrictions and other sentencing details can affect the calculation.
A Dangerous Corridor for Truckers
The stretch of I-80/94 known as the Borman Expressway accommodates more than 200,000 vehicles daily through Lake County, Hoodline has reported. The corridor is also in the middle of a $212.5 million 80/94 FlexRoad project aimed at easing congestion with dynamic shoulder lanes, as reported by Office of Representative Frank Mrvan.
High-speed chases are not unfamiliar to this section of highway. A previous pursuit on the Borman Expressway reportedly saw a fleeing driver hit 136 mph, underscoring how frequently Lake County deputies and state troopers coordinate on fast-moving highway incidents along the Borman Expressway.
