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Accident – Death – Obituary News : Gary Man Faces Multiple Felony Charges Following Fatal High-Speed Pursuit in Porter County
A Gary man is now facing a slew of serious charges after leading police on a high-speed chase that reached speeds over 100 mph in Porter County, Indiana. The pursuit tragically ended in a fatal crash with an oncoming vehicle, resulting in the death of the other driver. The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Martell Jaquan Harper, has been charged with four felonies, according to court documents.
The victim of the devastating crash has been identified as Nicholas Trinidad, a 41-year-old resident of Muskegon, Michigan. The collision occurred on Tuesday on U.S. 12, just west of Indiana 49. Trinidad was fatally injured in the head-on collision.
Harper, who is currently in custody at the Porter County Jail, is facing the following charges: resisting law enforcement in a motor vehicle and causing death or catastrophic injury to another person (a Level 3 felony), possession of cocaine (a Level 5 felony), and two Level 6 felonies, namely resisting law enforcement and auto theft. As of now, no date has been set for his initial hearing.
The incident began around 1:39 p.m. on Tuesday when a deputy from the Porter County Sheriff’s Department attempted to make a routine traffic stop of a stolen 2022 Toyota RAV4 in the vicinity of U.S. 12 and County Road 300 East. However, Harper, who was driving the stolen vehicle, quickly fled from the deputy’s marked patrol car, which had its lights and sirens activated.
The ensuing pursuit, characterized by excessive speeds exceeding 100 mph, continued westbound through U.S. 12 and Indiana 49. At one point during the chase, Harper veered into the eastbound lane and continued driving in that direction even as the road curved. Tragically, this led to the head-on collision with Trinidad’s 2003 white Pontiac, which was traveling eastbound.
Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered Trinidad trapped in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. He was unconscious and not breathing, and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
According to court records, Harper made unsolicited statements following the crash, claiming that he had “the lottery winners and hit the jackpot” and that “they were chasing me.” Police also found 8.1 grams of a powdery white substance, later identified as cocaine, in the driver’s side doorway of the stolen Toyota. Furthermore, charging documents indicate that Harper evaded traffic and weaved in and out of lanes in his attempt to flee from law enforcement, only stopping when the fatal collision occurred.
In response to the incident, Porter County Sheriff Jeff Balon requested the assistance of the Indiana State Police to aid in the investigation. Sheriff Balon expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and affirmed that the pursuing deputies had followed department policy throughout the chase.
“The officers involved followed departmental policy, and within 2 minutes of pursuing the vehicle, the driver’s careless and irresponsible actions caused the senseless death of another person,” stated Sheriff Balon.
The incident remains under investigation by the Indiana State Police, and further details are expected to emerge as the case progresses..
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