17-year-old driver speeds away from police, crashes into semitruck

Photo courtesy of Jason Adventure-Mavis

GOSHEN, Ind. -- A 17-year-old driver had to be extricated from their vehicle this morning after speeding away from a traffic stop in Goshen and colliding, head on, with a semitruck.

According to the Goshen Police Department, at 10:37 a.m. an officer attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding when the vehicle fled east on Pike Street and continued north on Elkhart Road.

Authorities say the vehicle came to the intersection of U.S. 33 and Meijer Drive where two other vehicles were stopped in front of them.

The driver then attempted to drive between the two cars and collided with both before continuing north through the intersection where it collided with the semitruck, which was heading south.

"The pursuit ended when the vehicle drove between two northbound vehicles, left the northbound lanes, crossed a median, and collided with a semitruck and trailer head-on near Ferndale Road and Elkhart Road," police said. 

Photo courtesy of Jason Adventure-Mavis

The 17-year-old driver had to be extricated from the vehicle and transported to an area hospital via MedFlight with significant life-threatening injuries.

A 25-year-old driver of another vehicle reported hip and back pain and was treated at the scene.

The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crash, and the Goshen Police Department is investigating the pursuit.

Any recommended charges will be sent to the Prosecutor’s Office for review.

Photo courtesy of Jason Adventure-Mavis