Police Pursuit Ends With Suspect Killed In Wreck
On June 19, 2021 at approximately 1:20 AM, a Hobart Officer was in the area of 39th and Tennessee Street when he observed a gray colored SUV disregard a stop sign in front of him. The Officer activated his emergency lights and sirens and attempted to stop the vehicle. The vehicle accelerated and continued west bound on 39th Avenue and disregarded several stop signs, according to Captain James Gonzales.
The Officer followed behind the vehicle and noticed the gray SUV approaching 39th Avenue and Broadway, he also noticed that the west bound traffic signal was red. The gray SUV entered the intersection at 39th and Broadway and was struck on the driver’s side of the vehicle by a vehicle traveling north bound on Broadway. The gray SUV spun and struck a traffic light pole and rolled onto its roof.
The Officer immediately notified medics and checked on the 2 occupants of the vehicle traveling north bound, they were conscious, and they were able to exit the vehicle on their own. The Officer then checked on the driver of the SUV, who was unconscious, but due to the positioning of the vehicle, he was unable to render first aid or get the driver out of the vehicle.
The Gary Fire Department responded and began to attempt to remove the driver from the SUV to provide first aid, but the driver was deceased, Gonzales stated. The driver of the vehicle was subsequently extricated from the vehicle.
The Lake County crash investigative team was notified along with the Lake County Coroner’s Office. The driver of the vehicle didn’t have any identification and was transported to the Lake County Coroner’s Office as a “John Doe”. The identification of the decedent is pending through the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
The Lake County crash investigative team will be conducting the crash investigation.
A preliminary investigation has been conducted by Hobart Police Department Administration with regard to adherence to policy and procedure to the Hobart Police pursuit policy. As a result of the preliminary investigation, the Officer operated within the parameters of the Hobart Police Department pursuit policy and no violations have occurred, Gonzales told RNS.
The Hobart Police Department extended their sincere condolences to the family of the decedent.
The Hobart Police Department strongly encourages the public to please pull over when a Police Officer is conducting a traffic stop on you, so that tragic events such as this don’t occur.
The Hobart Police Department extended their deepest gratitude to the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Lake County Coroner’s Office, Gary Police Department and the Gary Fire Department for their assistance with this investigation.
