(La Porte County, IN) - NIPSCO worker Nick Morford was leaving for his job at the company's facility in Michigan City on Tuesday afternoon, only to stumble upon a police officer with his gun drawn towards the driver of a vehicle parked in his driveway.
He didn’t know it then, but it was the beginning of a police chase ending with the capture of a driver on the Chicago Skyway.
“It’s one of those things that you just see on T.V. and you would never think you would witness something like that,” said Nick Morford.
La Porte County Police said a license plate-reading Flock Safety Camera alerted officers to a stolen sport utility vehicle with Illinois plates headed eastbound on U.S. 20 from U.S. 35 near Michigan City. Deputy Alex Clemons soon located the vehicle turning into the Hunter’s Run subdivision near Wilhelm Road
Morford said the vehicle pulled into his driveway just before the officer arrived in his squad car, overhead lights flashing. He said the driver stepped out and was told by the officer a few times to remove one of his hands from a pocket. Gun pointed at the driver, the officer also yelled for Morford to get back inside his residence.
Morford said he obeyed the officer’s commands and then went to a bedroom to further observe out of curiosity through a window.
The man reportedly climbed back into the SUV and fled, returning to U.S. 20 and heading westbound for a short distance as the officer followed in pursuit. After a U-turn, police said, the suspect began traveling eastbound on U.S 20 before heading southbound on 525 West.
Eventually, the fleeing driver, using other roads, doubled back to U.S. 35 and turned left on U.S. 20 before entering a ramp to the westbound lanes of Interstate 94. Authorities note the driver, James Simcoe, 43, merged onto the Indiana Toll Road in Lake County and continued until reaching a Chicago Skyway toll plaza where he was taken into custody.
Simcoe, who lives in the northern Chicago suburb of Norridge, was being held by authorities in Illinois until formal arrangements could be made for his return to LaPorte County to face charges.
Officers from Michigan City, Trail Creek, and Westville, along with the Porter County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police, were all involved in the pursuit.
Morford said he acted with disbelief when he learned the vehicle in his driveway was the subject of the chase, telling his co-workers at NIPSCO in turn.
“It kind of got a laugh from everybody,” he said.
Last week, a Flock camera in Michigan City was credited with aiding two arrests made during a traffic stop of a vehicle containing two individuals from the state of Washington suspected to be part of a large nationwide theft ring.
