High-speed chase on I-94 ends with 2 arrests, charges in NW Indiana

PORTER, Ind. - A high-speed chase on I-94 ended with the arrest of two men Saturday in northwest Indiana.

At approximately 1:30 a.m., an Indiana State Trooper observed a gray Toyota SUV traveling eastbound on I-94 near the Porter/LaPorte County line at an "extremely high rate of speed," with neither headlights nor tail lights on, police said. The vehicle was clocked at over 110 mph as the state trooper attempted to catch up, but the SUV continued to pull away, passing another vehicle on the shoulder.

The chase escalated when the SUV exited the interstate and headed north on U.S. Route 421 into Michigan City before turning back west on U.S. Route 20. The pursuit ended near the Pilot Truck Stop in Porter, Indiana, where the driver stopped and was taken into custody.

The driver, Mohamed A. Ahamed Ahrar, 26, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was found to be under the influence of alcohol, registering a Blood Alcohol Content .09% during a certified chemical test. Ahrar was charged with criminal confinement with a vehicle, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction, and several misdemeanors related to impaired and reckless driving.

The passenger of the car, Joshua C. Reed, 32, of Chicago, had reportedly been urging Ahrar to stop the vehicle during the pursuit, state police said. Reed was found in possession of Ketamine, a controlled substance, and was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a Level 6 Felony. Both men were incarcerated at the LaPorte County Jail.

The incident remains under investigation, with additional charges possible.