Four Wanted Men Flee & Crash On 80/94 Leaving One Dead
Wednesday afternoon at approximately 12:52 p.m., officers with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department initiated a pursuit of a stolen vehicle, a 2020 Infiniti QX60, on I-94 near the 32 mile-marker, according to Sgt. Glen Fifield of The Indiana State Police. The vehicle was initially traveling eastbound but exited at U.S. 421 and returned to I-94 and headed westbound. The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and was able to avoid stop sticks that had been placed in the roadway. As the pursuit continued into Lake County, the vehicle struck a Porter County Sheriff’s police car. This impact caused the driver of the Infiniti to lose control and strike the median wall. The vehicle proceeded to roll several times coming to a rest on the opposite side of the median wall, on the eastbound inside shoulder.
The driver and front seat passenger were both ejected from the vehicle, Fifield stated. The two rear seat passengers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported for treatment. The front seat passenger sustained serious injuries. The driver, John Kennedy Fitzgerald Bolden, 23, from Shouth Holland, IL, was declared deceased at the scene by the Lake County Coroner and his family has been notified. The Porter County Police Officer was transported for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
At the request of the LaPorte County Sheriff, the Indiana State Police are investigating the crash and are assisting with the criminal investigation. The eastbound and westbound lanes were closed for several hours for treatment of the injured, crash scene cleanup and reconstruction.
During the investigation, officers learned that all the occupants of the Infiniti had active warrants for various serious crimes. The driver of the vehicle, John Kennedy Fitzgerald Bolden, was wanted for multiple serious felonies out of Arkansas and Texas. The front seat passenger, Darious Washington, 21, from South Holland, IL, was wanted in Illinois, Ohio, and Kansas for multiple felonies. David Washington, 28, from South Holland, IL, had a felony warrant in Illinois. Derek R. Bussell, 28, from Chicago, IL, was wanted in Illinois and Ohio for multiple felonies. The suspects that are in custody will be processed and extradited by the charging agencies. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Assisting at the scene were the following: Precision Towing, Hoosier Helpers, Portage Fire, Hobart Fire, Portage Police, Gary Police, Porter County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police Crash Reconstruction, Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division, Lake County Coroner, LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department, Lutheran Air III, Superior Ambulance.
