Stolen Motorcycle Crashes on 80/94 Sunday After Crown Point Police Terminate Chase
Around noon, Sunday, June 9, a Crown Point Police officer running radar enforcement in the 1500 block of North Main Street observed a motorcycle traveling southbound at 72 mph in the posted 35 mph zone, according to Crown Point Police.
The officer attempted to catch up to the motorcycle and observed it turn eastbound onto Summit Street. Once on Summit Street, the motorcycle continued to drive at a high rate of speed, passing vehicles utilizing the westbound traffic lane. The officer activated their emergency lights and sirens to stop the motorcycle, which was traveling down the center turn lane on Summit Street passing traffic at a high rate of speed. The driver turned his head several times looking back at the officer attempting to stop him. The officer observed the motorcycle did not have a license plate. The motorcycle continued southbound onto Delaware Parkway and turned eastbound on 109th Avenue, which was driving between cars before running a red light at Virginia Street. The motorcycle then turned onto northbound Interstate 65, where it was observed weaving in and out of traffic, passing on the shoulder and passing between cars at a high rate of speed.
The pursuit continued until the motorcycle turned onto westbound Interstate 80/94, where police terminated the pursuit due to safety and the volume of traffic.
Several minutes later, area police responded to I-80/94 near Cline Avenue, where the motorcycle crashed into the back of a pick-up truck. Crown Point Police arrived on scene and identified the driver as the suspect they attempted to stop. Gary Fire responded to transport the suspect for treatment.
The driver was transported with injuries to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus by ambulance and later transferred to Chicago. The driver was identified as Gage Daniel Kirchhoff, 22, of Crown Point.
Police later confirmed the motorcycle was stolen from Chicago. Kirchhoff was driving on a suspended license and does not have a motorcycle endorsement, which is required to operate a motorcycle in the State of Indiana. Kirchhoff is being preliminarily charged with resisting law enforcement, class 6 felony; possession of stolen property, class 6 felony; reckless driving; and many license and traffic violations.
The helmet the operator was wearing at the time of the crash also displayed a pig on it with 18 tally marks which is believed to showcase the number of times the subject has run from law enforcement in the past.
