A Gary firefighter has been placed on leave without pay after he allegedly drunkenly hit an Indiana State Police car while he was off-duty, injuring an officer, then fleeing, an official said Tuesday.
Michael D. Rodriguez, 47, of Gary, has not yet been formally charged, according to public court filings.
A Lake County prosecutor’s office spokeswoman said Tuesday the case was still under investigation.
“The Gary Fire Department does not tolerate inappropriate behavior, and our members are held to a high standard both on and off the clock,” Fire Chief Larry Tillman said in a statement.
“The individual will be placed on leave without pay, consistent with statutory requirements, pending the investigation and determination of next steps,” he added. “As first responders, incidents involving our public safety partners hit closer to home, and we must ensure the well-being of those who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving others.”
A representative from Gary Firefighters Local 359 couldn’t be immediately reached. Rodriguez was hired in February 2006, city spokesman Steve Segura said in an email. A dark SUV hit a trooper’s parked vehicle, which was blocking off a construction zone, then took off. The Gary Fire Department transported the trooper to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus for “non-life threatening injuries,” according to a previous Indiana State Police press release.
Police soon found the SUV driving on the Borman Expressway with “significant front-end damage,” the release states. The driver led officers on a chase through a construction zone and workers “had to move out of the way to avoid being struck,” according to the release.
The driver then got off the highway at Broadway Avenue, before turning west on 25th Avenue.
Before the car stopped near the Gary Fire Department on 25th Avenue and Jefferson Street, the man “nearly (caused) an additional crash,” the release stated.
Rodriguez refused field sobriety tests and police got a warrant for a blood draw at Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville.
He had “signs of alcohol impairment and admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages prior to driving. Open containers were observed inside the vehicle,” police said.
Indiana State Police forwarded charges for review to the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, including reckless driving in a construction zone while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a serious bodily injury crash and O.W.I. causing injury, all Level 6 — or low-level — felonies, plus three misdemeanors.
Indiana Gateway, an online salary database, shows a man with Rodriguez’s same name and middle initial, who is listed as a firefighter and paramedic, made nearly $119,000 in 2025, the latest available year.