2 Hammond men taken into custody after high-speed chase from Indiana to Illinois

Two Hammond men were arrested early Thursday morning on Interstate 94 in Illinois following a high-speed chase that began in Indiana and ended with the driver ramming a state police car.

The incident started at 12:55 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 80 near Kennedy Avenue. Detective Hamed observed a gray Dodge car speeding at 92 mph in a 55 mph zone. When Hamed attempted to stop the car around the 3.4 mile marker, the driver, later identified as Julian Casares, 19, and a passenger, Hector Hills-Montejano, 20, both of Hammond, drove away and began a chase.

The pursuit continued westbound on I-80 at speeds above 100 mph. Casares left at Calumet Avenue before returning to the freeway. Trooper Haddon joined the chase in a police car, and Casares and Hills-Montejano deliberately rammed Haddon’s car just west of Calumet Avenue.

The impact caused the Dodge’s front passenger tire to flatten, but Casares continued on Interstate 294 and then Interstate 94. Casares lost control near the 159th Street intersection, temporarily entering a ditch before returning to the road. Haddon then employed a precise transition maneuver (PIT) to bring the car to a stop.

Troopers detained all four people in the automobile. Investigators discovered two guns in plain sight: a Glock 22 in the back seat and an AR-pistol on the front floorboard. Police eventually discovered that Casares and Hills-Montejano are not legally permitted to own firearms, and Casares is a convicted felon. Casares also did not possess a valid driver’s license.

Illinois State Police arrived on the site around 1:03 a.m. Casares and Hills-Montejano were brought to the Cook County Jail in Maywood, Illinois, where they are awaiting extradition back to Indiana. Two further passengers were discharged without charge.

Casares and Hills-Montejano are facing various counts. These include felony charges of aggravated battery, resisting law enforcement, and possession of a firearm by a serious violent criminal, as well as misdemeanor counts of careless driving and operating while drunk.