A Chicago man was arrested Thursday morning after reportedly fleeing from an attempted traffic stop in Kosciusko County and crashing in Plymouth.
According to the Indiana State Police, a trooper attempted to stop a gray 2018 Chrysler 300 after a traffic violation as the vehicle passed by him going westbound on U.S. 30, just west of County Road 500 West. As the trooper got closer to the vehicle, he was reportedly able to determine that the license plate did not match the vehicle. The trooper engaged his emergency lights and sirens indicating a traffic stop, but the driver did not stop and sped up to speeds of over 100 miles per hour as he led police westbound entering Marshall County, according to the report.
A trooper was successful in deploying stop sticks near Iris Road which flattened both driver side tires. However, police say the driver continued westbound. Troopers and deputies with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department deployed stop sticks near King Road deflating the front passenger tire. The driver, now driving on three rims, hit another set of stop sticks near the State Road 17 overpass but reportedly continued to travel westbound.
Near Oak Road in Plymouth, police say the driver of the vehicle tried to pass a semi on the right side and lost control of vehicle, went into the ditch to the right, hit two signs and rolled onto its roof.
The driver, 28-year-old Merieal Tolbert, of Chicago, was taken into custody. He was transported to the local hospital where he was medically cleared, according to the report. Further investigation found that the vehicle was allegedly stolen earlier in the day out of Fort Wayne.
Tolbert was transported to the Kosciusko County Jail after being arrested on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Suspects are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.
