(LIGONIER) – Authorities say an arrest has been made in a high speed chase and crash that resulted in the death of a person.
Indiana State Police say they arrested 23 year old Ethan Aza of Cromwell. He is being held in the Noble County Jail without bond on five felony charges that include resisting law enforcement; operating while intoxicated causing death; operating while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury; resisting law enforcement with a vehicle causing serious injury; two counts of resisting law enforcement causing bodily injury and a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle without ever having received a license.
At 8:25 AM on September 14, an Indiana State Police Trooper saw a vehicle traveling east on U.S. 6 west of Ligonier at speeds over 100 MPH. The Trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, which eventually went south on State Road 5 and headed back into Ligonier. The Trooper ended the pursuit due to the risk to the public.
A short time later the vehicle was involved in a crash on U.S. 33, just south of U.S. 6.
Investigators say the suspect vehicle disregarded the traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 33 and U.S. 6, and crashed into the rear of an SUV, which had just turned south onto U.S. 33. The SUV went off the road and into a ditch where it flipped on its side. The suspect vehicle went left of center and hit a north bound vehicle.
The driver and the passenger of the SUV both sustained serious injuries. The passenger, 37 year old Justin Yoder of Goshen, was flown to Parkview Regional Medical Center by Samaritan Helicopter in critical condition. He died later that same day.
The driver was also taken to Parkview Regional Medical Center.
The driver and passenger in the other vehicle sustained minor injuries and were taken to Parkview Noble Hospital in Kendallville.
The Trooper who first pursued the suspect vehicle was one of the first officers on scene of the crash. He sustained cuts to his hands and arms and was treated and released from Parkview Noble Hospital.
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