First responders help a man who was injured when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a Toyota Prius. The wreck happened around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1. The man was taken by helicopter to a Fort Wayne hospital with head and leg injuries. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — A motorcyclist was transported by helicopter after he crashed into a car while fleeing police.

The accident at Prairie and South Union streets in Warsaw happened around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1.

Warsaw Police Detective Sgt. and Public Information Officer Brad Kellar told InkFreeNews in an email that the motorcyclist led police on a brief chase. The pursuit began after police suspected he was driving recklessly.

“However, it was not much of a pursuit as it began on south Detroit Street,” Kellar said.

The man sustained head and leg injuries, he said.

“He was conscious and alert at the scene while medics and fire personnel attended to him,” Kellar said.

“He was flown from a landing site at the high school to Fort Wayne. He was wearing a helmet but evidence suggests it was not being worn properly at the time of the collision,” he added.

The motorcyclist hit a Toyota Prius occupied by two adults and a juvenile.

“All had complaints of minor injuries and they were treated and released at the scene,” he said.

“The criminal investigation is ongoing,” Kellar said.

Two people at the scene described the incident.

Jessica Patton was driving in front of the Prius at the time of the wreck.

“They were coming from Marsh off of Buffalo (Street),” said Patton. “And when I was coming through I looked both ways because joggers were running and I saw the cops following the motorcycle.”

“So I sped up to get out of the way,” she said. “And the car behind me is the one that took all the hit.”

Stesha Irvine lives nearby.

“And I heard the sirens, so I looked out the window, and when I looked out the window it was immediately the motorcyclist had hit the side of the car and just kind of went over the car,” she said.

Responding to the scene were Lutheran EMS, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, the Warsaw Police Department and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.

A close-up look at the Prius involved in the wreck.