Short Pursuit Leads to an Arrest of South Bend Man

At approximately 3:22 p.m. Sunday on I-65 northbound near the 174 mile marker (that is one mile south of the SR 25/175 exit) a trooper was advised of a reckless driver speeding, passing on the shoulder and weaving in and out of traffic from Region 1 Radio who had received three separate complaints on the vehicle. The trooper found the vehicle who tried to run from him. A short pursuit was initiated and the vehicle finally stopped on SR 25 south.

Trooper Corey Brown was on routine patrol when radio advised him of a black SUV type vehicle was NB I-65 traveling recklessly. Trooper Brown pulled onto the cross over at the 174 mm attempting to observe for the vehicle. He saw a black Ford Escape traveling at 113 MPH in a 65 zone.

Trooper Brown pulled out into traffic activating his emergency lights on his police car and attempted to catch the vehicle. As he was NB he witnessed the Escape cross three lanes of traffic and exit off at the 175/SR 25 exit ramp. As the vehicle approached the red light at the bottom of the ramp, it pulled off to the right side of a stopped vehicle and made a left turn onto SR 25 while disregarding the light. Trooper Brown continued to follow the vehicle until it pulled over on the side of the road.

He cautiously walked up to the vehicle and the driver was holding his license out the window. The driver identified as William J. Szalay, 23 of South Bend was taken into custody and was initially charged with reckless driving, Resisting Law Enforcement and Speeding. His passenger was not charged with any crime and was taken home in W. Lafayette by Trooper Jeremy Piers who was assisting on the stop. Szaley was transported to Tippecanoe County Jail.