A Gary man faces an assortment of charges after he sideswiped a police car at an accident scene at the juncture of Interstates 65 and 80 on Saturday, according to police.
Troopers with Indiana State Police’s Lowell Post were investigating a vehicle crash involving an impaired driver on I-65 northbound at the ramp to I-80 westbound, according to a release from Sgt. Glen Fifield, public information officer for the Lowell Post.
A trooper was sitting in his police car providing scene security with his emergency lights activated when a white Volvo S90 sideswiped his patrol car and attempted to flee the scene. He radioed to the troopers working the crash ahead of him of the fleeing vehicle, police said.
Another trooper located the vehicle in the center lane of travel and ordered the driver to stop. The driver was ordered to exit the vehicle but he refused. Troopers then opened the driver’s door for the suspect and the driver eventually complied and exited the vehicle.
As troopers were removing the driver, they observed a handgun in the driver’s waistband. Troopers took the handgun from the driver and also determined it was loaded. Police also observed an open bottle of Hennessy in the front area of the vehicle. The bottle was half empty. In a later search of the vehicle, police said they also found a white powdery substance in the front area of the vehicle.
During the interaction, troopers could detect the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on the driver’s breath. Field sobriety tests were administered to the driver and then he was offered the opportunity to submit to a certified chemical test, which he refused, police said.
Police requested a warrant for a blood draw, which was granted and signed by a Lake County judge. The driver was transported to a nearby hospital where the warrant was executed and the blood draw completed.
The driver, Diandre Jamal Green, 34, was transported to the Lake County Jail. He is charged with possession of cocaine while in possession of a firearm, a level 5 felony; operating while intoxicating, endangering, a class A misdemeanor; leaving the scene of a crash, a class B misdemeanor; and operating while intoxicated, a class C misdemeanor.
Green has an initial hearing on Dec. 2 before Magistrate Kathleen Sullivan, according to online court records.