A Michigan City man faces two felonies and a misdemeanor after a police pursuit on Interstate 94 that hit a speed of 90 mph before the man exited the highway and crashed into a Portage home, police said.
Around 10 p.m. Sunday, a trooper with the Lowell Post of Indiana State Police tried to stop a white Chevrolet Blazer traveling 90 mph on westbound I-94 near the 21.8-mile marker, according to a release from Sgt. Glen Fifield, public information officer with the state police. The location is near the Burns Harbor/Porter exit.
The driver refused to stop, accelerating to speeds over 130 mph while fleeing through multiple jurisdictions, police said.
The pursuit continued onto Ind. 249, U.S. 20 and Samuelson Road in Porter County. After crossing a set of railroad tracks at high speed, the vehicle went airborne, causing the driver to lose control and crash into a residence in the 6700 block of Mercedes Avenue in Portage.
The driver was identified as Jven Ray Lewis, 20, of Michigan City, police said. A loaded Glock handgun and loaded drum magazine were recovered from his waistband, police said. A female passenger was detained and later transported for medical evaluation for a complaint of pain that she sustained as a result of the crash.
Lewis was transported to a hospital for medical clearance and later booked into the Porter County Jail, charged with resisting law enforcement, a Level 5 felony; dealing in marijuana, a Level 6 felony; and reckless driving causing bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor.
The home struck by the fleeing vehicle sustained damage. The homeowner was not near the damage but chose to go to the hospital out of precaution.