(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Charges are now filed against an East Chicago man after a crash that injured an Indiana State Trooper -- and an unusual police report in March.
Joel A. Barrera is charged with criminal recklessness leaving the scene of an accident causing injury resisting law enforcement and false informing among other offenses, Indiana State Police said.
On March 7 at approximately 11:30 p.m., Indiana State Trooper Kevin Council was assisting with traffic direction on Cline Avenue near the bridge over the Grand Calumet River.
Council was parked in the left lane with his police emergency lights activated due to an earlier crash that other officers were investigating. An SUV rear-ended his car, then revved its engine, and fled the scene. Council was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
An East Chicago officer later located the vehicle, a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, parked at 3206 Regent Street in East Chicago. The vehicle had significant damage to it and officers impounded the vehicle at that time.
On March 8, Barrera contacted the East Chicago Police Department and attempted to report that his vehicle had been stolen from his girlfriend’s home in the 3700 block of Euclid Avenue in East Chicago.
He described the vehicle as a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox-the same vehicle that had been recovered from in front of his own home.
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