BERRIEN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – A man driving at high speeds across three counties has been arrested by police after crashing his vehicle in Berrien County early on Wednesday morning.
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office says the 30-year-old Portage resident was originally a suspect in a domestic violence case, before he led law enforcement on a pursuit that spanned more than 50 miles across three counties.
Officers say the suspect initially fled from a Portage Public Safety officer, continuing to speed through Van Buren County along westbound I-94.
Van Buren County deputies pursued the driver until they reached the Berrien County border, out of concern for a child inside the vehicle if they continued the chase.
During the pursuit, the man had his 1-year-old daughter in the vehicle unbuckled as he sped over the speed limit, at times surpassing 110 MPH.
Deputies in Berrien County were alerted that the suspect was traveling at a high rate of speed, believed to be heading toward Benton Harbor where he had formerly lived. Police followed the vehicle at a distance without use of sirens and lights, but ultimately lost sight of the vehicle as they approached the city.
The sheriff’s office said in a release that the suspect continued to drive through the area with headlights off, running a stop sign and almost crashing into a Medic One Ambulance traveling toward Lakeland St. Joseph Hospital around 3:09 a.m.
The driver lost control of the vehicle and was seen going airborne before coming to a halt.
The vehicle was found shortly after in a yard with a blown tire. A perimeter was set up and K-9 unit Blek was deployed to search for the suspect. Police say that multiple pieces of clothing were found before locating him.
Blek later found the suspect hiding in the 1200 block of Vincent Court, biting his arm in the process.
The suspect and his daughter were then taken to Lakeland St. Joseph Hospital for treatment of the bite. His daughter was examined before being released to her mother.
The suspect is said to be facing several charges stemming from the chase.
— Joshua Scott contributed to this article. —
