HAMMOND, Ind.–An Indiana state trooper was hit and pinned to a wall by a car early Saturday morning near the Indiana-Illinois state line. The trooper will be okay. The suspect tried to get away and was captured by armed citizens.
State Police were investigating a wreck on I-80/94 about 2 a.m. when a 2016 Dodge charger slammed into a Hammond fire truck and a Subaru. The Subaru spun out of control and hit a Dodge Journey that pinned Trooper William Carlson to a barrier wall.
Carlson was taken to the hospital and later released to go home.
The driver of the Charger, Bryan K. Smith, 23, of North Carolina, ran off with a trooper running after him. He had left his seriously injured passenger behind.
While Smith ran two people who had seen the incident go down drove their car in front of him, One of the people got out of the car and pulled their gun, ordering Smith to stop, which he did.
Smith is being held in the Lake County jail, with charges pending.
His passenger, a 23-year-old woman from Chicago, was flown to Christ Advocate Hospital in serious condition.
