MISHAWAKA — A South Bend driver accused of leading police on a pursuit Tuesday morning was arrested and booked into the St. Joseph County Jail.
The Mishawaka Police Department conducted a vehicle pursuit around 10:30 a.m. Dec. 10 after an officer initiated traffic stop near Lincoln Way West and Logan Street, police said in a press release Tuesday afternoon. Police say the driver failed to pull over and tried to drive away.
A Mishawaka police officer pursued the vehicle with his emergency lights and sirens activated as the chase continued around The Oaks neighborhood, within the area of West Grove, Lawrence, Battell and Broadway streets, police said. At 10:38 a.m., the officer was involved in a crash with two other vehicles and a fence at the 800 block of Liberty Drive, according to the press release. Mishawaka police declined to release the name of the officer.
No injuries occurred from the crash, police said.
The pursuit ended shortly after the officer’s crash as the suspect crashed into a garage in an alley in the 300 block of West Battell Street, police said. Witnesses told police the driver ran from the crash into a nearby apartment, police said.
After obtaining a search warrant for the apartment, officers arrested a man they believe was the driver on accusation of resisting law enforcement, Sgt. Steven Headley, the department’s public information officer, told The Tribune. The St. Joseph County Jail website also lists an accusation of auto theft against the suspect. Another man in the apartment was also arrested for an unrelated criminal arrest warrant, police said. They were both transported to the St. Joseph County Jail to await a charging decision from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s office, the press release said.
The prosecutor’s office is awaiting the full results of the investigation to review and decide on charges, an administrator told The Tribune.
Drugs and weapons were found in the apartment during the search, police said.
The Mishawaka Police Department continue to investigate this incident.
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend man jailed after chase ends with Mishawaka officer crashing
