FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WISH) — This story has been updated to include suspect information and correct that the passenger injured was in the suspect’s vehicle and not in the uninvolved vehicle .
A drunk driver seriously injured two people, including their passenger, early Sunday morning after crashing into a vehicle while fleeing from Fort Wayne police.
A release from the Fort Wayne Police Department says around 1:40 a.m., officers saw a vehicle driving recklessly near South Barr Street and East Oakdale Drive. That’s on the city’s south side.
Police tried to pull the driver over, but the suspect fled north on nearby South Lafayette Street. A short chase followed, ending when the suspect rear-ended an uninvolved vehicle at the Lafayette and East Dewald streets intersection.
The second driver and the suspect’s passenger were rushed to a hospital for treatment. The driver sustained life-threatening injuries, while the passenger was said to be in “serious, but stable” condition.
The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Derrick Benson, received minor injuries in the crash. He was taken into custody and faces three charges: