LaPorte County- On Saturday, June 29th, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Trooper Nicholas Isajczuk was patrolling I-94 near the Porter/LaPorte County line when he observed a gray Toyota SUV traveling eastbound at an extremely high rate of speed without any headlights or tail lights illuminated. Trooper Isajczuk attempted to catch up to the vehicle, traveling over 110 mph, as the Toyota continued to pull away from the pursuing trooper. Once Trooper Isajczuk caught up to the vehicle, the SUV merged onto the shoulder and passed another vehicle.
Trooper Isajczuk initiated a pursuit of the SUV as it exited the interstate and went northbound on U.S. 421, fleeing into Michigan City. The pursuit continued back west on U.S. 20, finally stopping in front of the Pilot Truck Stop on U.S. 20 in Porter, IN. The driver was taken into custody and further observations led officers to suspect the driver was impaired. The driver was administered a certified chemical test, which he failed, registering .09% B.A.C. (Blood Alcohol Content). The investigation also revealed that the passenger had been asking the driver to pull over, but that the driver refused to stop fleeing from law enforcement.
The passenger in the vehicle, Joshua C. Reed, 32, from Chicago, IL, was found to be in possession of a controlled substance, Ketamine. Reed was arrested and is being charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance- Level 6 Felony. He was incarcerated at the LaPorte County Jail. The driver, Mohamed A. Ahamed Ahrar, 26, from Mechanicsburg, PA, was also incarcerated at the LaPorte County Jail. Ahrar is preliminarily charged with the following offenses:
- Criminal Confinement with a Vehicle- Level 6 Felony
- Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle- Level 6 Felony
- Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated with a Prior Conviction- Level 6 Felony
- Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering- Class A Misdemeanor
- Operating a Vehicle with a BAC of .08 but less then .15- Class C Misdemeanor
- Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated- Class C Misdemeanor
- Reckless Driving- Class C Misdemeanor
All suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless proven guilty in court.