Pursuit Ends in Fiery Fatal Crash on I-80/94
A police pursuit that began late Monday night on Calumet Avenue in Munster, ended after the fleeing suspect crashed and died in a fiery wreck on Interstate 80/94 near Cline Ave.
According to Munster Police, the incident began around 10:45 p.m. on June 16 when officers initiated a traffic stop on an SUV for a routine traffic violation. The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was found to be unlicensed and had an active warrant out of Texas, according to Munster Police.
When officers asked the individual to exit the vehicle, the suspect fled the scene, prompting a pursuit eastbound on I-80/94. The chase later turned back westbound, with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police (ISP) taking over lead roles in the pursuit, Munster Police stated.
The situation came to a deadly end when the suspect attempted to exit I-80/94 at Cline Avenue. The vehicle failed to navigate the curve, slamming into a support beam and bursting into flames. The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Indiana State Police are leading the investigation and conducting a crash reconstruction. Multiple agencies, including ISP and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, assisted in the chase.
No officers or other motorists were reported injured during the incident. The identity of the deceased has not been released by the Lake County Coroner’s Office pending formal identification and notification of next of kin. We will update this article when the drivers name has been released.
