LOCAL

Potholes, 30 mph 'chase' tie up traffic on I-69

The Star Press

DALEVILLE, Ind. — Traveling on Interstate 69 through Delaware County, particularly in the southbound lanes, was not for the faint of heart on Tuesday morning.

About 90 minutes after a three-vehicle accident south of the Daleville interchange in the interstate's southbound lanes, authorities engaged in a slow-speed pursuit of a motorist, also traveling in the southbound lanes, who refused to stop.

The man, described as perhaps being elderly, was traveling about 30-35 miles per hour in northwestern Delaware County when he first refused to stop when an officer tried to pull his vehicle over.

A "pursuit," with speeds at times approaching 40 mph, ensued. The motorist twice ran over stop sticks placed on the interstate by police and for a time was continuing to travel south with his flattened right-side tires "starting to smoke and come apart," according to scanner traffic.

The chase ended about 11:20 a.m. after the man drove over the second set of stop sticks, apparently near the Ind.67/32 exit in Daleville. The driver was taken into custody.

Indiana State Police Sgt. John Bowling said the driver said little after he was stopped other than telling police, "I'm sorry," and appeared to have some kind of mental issue.

Earlier that morning, emergency responders had been called to a multi-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes near the Daleville exit around 9:30 a.m. That crash involved three vehicles but no injuries, just property damage, according to Indiana State Police.

But emergency scanner traffic noted several other crashes or cars left with flat tires along that stretch of I-69 shortly before or immediately after that one, and cited "deep potholes" along the highway causing people to swerve and cause crashes.

The Indiana Department of Transportation was alerted to the potholes and a patching crew was called to to fill them. Bowling said recurring potholes in both the northbound and southbound lanes of the interstate have been causing problems since January.

To report a pothole on an interstate highway, U.S. highway, or state road, go to www.indot4u.com or call 855-INDOT4U (463-6848).