Tippecanoe County-Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at approximately 11:19 p.m. on I-65 NB near the 171 mile marker (this is approximately one mile south of the SR 26/172 exit), a trooper monitoring traffic gets a RADAR reading of over 100 MPH and attempts to stop the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle attempts to flee and leads the trooper on a 10 minute chase before he crashes the car and is taken into custody.
Trooper Devin Farmer was stationary in the crossover when he observes a silver 2016 Dodge Charger approaching at a high rate of speed. After getting a reading of over 100 mph, Trooper Farmer attempts to catch up to the vehicle. The Charger apparently seeing that the Trooper is attempting to catch him, allegedly increases speed to avoid being caught. The Charger continues NB weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed.
As he enters the construction zone at the 176 MM, he fails to slow and Trooper Farmer is behind him with emergency lights and siren activated. The Charger then exits off of I-65 at the 178 passing cars on the right side emergency lane and at the bottom of the ramp he turns left through the red light.
He continues SB and comes up to another construction zone still well in excess of the posted construction zone speed limit. The Charger has to evade several construction signs and workers in the area and nearly loses control when evading a second construction sign.
The driver of the Charger regains control and continues SB on South River Road and enters West Lafayette. He runs all of the red lights at Columbia St, and State Street. When he enters the round-about, he loses control and rolls the vehicle several times before coming to rest on its roof.
Trooper Farmer approached the driver’s side where the driver, later identified as Charles Jerome Epps Jr, 20 of Hammond, IN. was attempting to exit the vehicle. With the help of retired Tippecanoe County Sheriff Smokey Anderson and a West Lafayette Police Officer, Epps and his passenger, Donate Jaquary Clark, 18 of Chicago, IL were helped out of the vehicle and taken to the ambulance where they were transported to Franciscan Hospital East were they were treated and released. The two were then taken into custody by Troopers Farmer and Schaefer.
Epps has been initially charged with: Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Speeding, Aggressive Driving, Speeding in a Construction Zone and Driving While Suspended with a Prior. Clark was charged with Resisting Law Enforcement. Both were remanded to the custody of the Tippecanoe County Jail. More charges could be pending. The investigation continues.
Assisting at the scene was J & T Recovery.
Suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
