COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus Police arrested a Portage man after a pursuit and serious crash on Saturday morning.
Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies were pursuing a car driven by Gerardo Hurtado, 49, around 7:20 a.m. The vehicle was heading south on U.S. 31 at speeds in excess of 90 mph. The suspect turned around at 10th Street and began to drive north. As Hurtado headed out of the city and got closer to Interstate 65, the deputy terminated the chase.
Approximately 30 minutes later, Columbus police were called to the scene of an accident at Third and Lindsey Streets. CPD reports indicate that witnesses told law enforcement Hurtado had run a red light and struck a car driven by 56-year-old David Gates, of North Vernon. The sheriff’s deputy positively identified Hurtado as the subject he had been pursuing earlier. When Hurtado refused to exit the vehicle, police say they broke one of the windows and were forced to tase him.
Gates, who sustained serious injuries, was transported to Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. His condition is not known.
